Skyway Avenue
by Glory For Sleep
Summary: Latias misses the companionship of having a counterpart due to the death of Latios, while Rayquaza has always been alone and always wants to be alone. But, one week together might change everything for the both of them. Latias/Rayquaza. Finally updated - and completed!
1. It's Just Temporary

Hey peoples!

This is a story that I've been planning out for a while now. The Latias/Rayquaza section of the fandom needs more love. So, huzzah!

Enjoy the first chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon, or "Skyway Avenue" by We The Kings.

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**Chapter 1: It's Just Temporary**

* * *

Latias looked at Raikou.

The thunder tiger sat with his counterparts, Entei and Suicune.

She looked at Groudon.

The land rex talked to his opposite, Kyogre.

She looked at Zapdos.

The loner hawk spoke with his own bird allies, Articuno and Moltres. Lugia and his counterpart, Ho-oh, had also joined in on the collage of conversations.

The red and white dragon, Latias, sighed. She brought her eyes to rest upon the golden floor tiles of the Hall of Legends – a place in the heavens where earthly matters were discussed between the legendaries, the gods of the world whose natural balance they guarded. She didn't pay any attention to Arceus when the Original One swept by her to speak with Giratina. Instead, she ignored the words that flowed through the air - conversations in which every syllable that reached her ears somehow brought the lump in her throat to expand. She felt as if her entire neck braced itself to explode, definitely when tears traced the edges of her eyes.

Today was just supposed to be a daily meeting between the legendaries. After the required words had been said and heard, though, the legendaries didn't disperse for the planet, but decided to stay behind and spend some time in the cool air of the Hall to discuss new plans with their counterparts - perhaps suggestions for whatever orders Arceus had given them. Latias didn't receive any commands; rather, she was to stick to the one mission she had followed ever since her settlement into the water-based town of Alto Mare:

Protect the Soul Dew.

A magical item that kept the town alive, the Soul Dew thrived in the power and life it gave to Alto Mare. It shined even when light was nowhere to be seen, and it drove those who gazed upon it to lust for its power or just stare in amazement at its petite shape and size. It was cherished among the inhabitants of Alto Mare. Since it had been a gift from the legendaries to help keep the town on its feet, they considered it a valuable treasure to be guarded by only members of the said godly council.

Latias and her brother – her _counterpart _– Latios, had been given the duty of protecting the Soul Dew. When members of an evil organization broke into the town and stole the Soul Dew, apocalyptic mayhem spread throughout the streets. Phantoms of ancient pokemon were brought back to life to stomp around like hungry colossi, while the two humans who had taken the Soul Dew used it to drive Alto Mare to the verge of collapse – such collapse that Latios sacrificed himself to save it from being destroyed.

Latias remembered the look in her brother's eyes when he passed. It was something she didn't want to see again; death scared her and contradicted the way of life she had lived before. She had never been bothered by depressing things. She always found the bright side of it all – the hidden reasons to smile amongst the dark times. However, her own words had backtracked on her, and they found no liberation from her brother's unfortunate conclusion. Though Alto Mare had been saved with the help of human trainers, Latias saw no comfort with the capture of the villains and the return of the Soul Dew. In fact, with her brother gone, she felt more hurt than healed, more lost than comforted, and more alone than happy.

Every legendary had a counterpart – someone to talk to, someone to spend time with, and someone to love. Latias remembered that Raikou and Suicune were now together. Their times as counterparts had added to the love they grew for one another, and now Raikou seemed happier than ever. Latias was certain he had never felt alone in his life, because, if not for Suicune, the father figure of Entei had always been there to watch out for Raikou and hear him out when he needed someone to express his thoughts to. To Latias, Raikou was one of the luckiest pokemon in the world.

Speaking of which, he wasn't the only one.

Regice had her counterparts; Registeel, Regirock, and Regigigas.

Dialga had Palkia.

Darkrai was one with Cresselia.

Manaphy was seen as part of a team that included Jirachi and Celebi.

Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie were a bundle.

Mew saw a cloned counterpart in Mewtwo, in which the said manmade legendary also considered Deoxys as a possible partner due to the affection between them.

Heatran had even found a friend in the flower hedgehog, Shaymin.

Due to the death of her brother – her counterpart – Latias was alone. She had no one to turn to when she needed advice or support. She had no one to say goodnight to whenever it was time to go to bed - someone to lay awake from and stare at the moon to the sound of their snores. When she went to sleep at night, she heard nothing, because she had no one to converse with when she suffered insomnia.

No…she had no one.

Everyone tended to be nice to her when she revealed that she was bothered by this. She had been told that her brother would always watch over her - that she shouldn't dwell on the past and be filled with regret. Even with their words she felt no comfort, though, as memories of Latios always returned and caused anguish to resurrect itself in the pit of her soul. It would come back because she knew she would always be alone, that she would never have someone who would cradle her in their arms and tell her that she would be alright.

"Never say never," she would always tell the other legendaries when they were down.

But, this time, her own philosophy failed to comfort her, because she had no one to help prove it to her.

* * *

Rayquaza snorted. He narrowed his eyes at the meeting room of the Hall of Legends, where the daily session between the legendaries had taken place not too long ago. He was thankful that it was finally over. It allowed him to relax without worrying over a disaster that plagued the human and pokemon populations back on the mortal world. Although he kept the opinion to himself half the time, he sometimes wished both humanity and pokemonkind could take care of themselves for once.

He didn't like being depended on, despite the praise that came when he helped inhabitants on the mortal world. It tired him, stressed him out and had made him feel as if the 'glory' he gained from it all wasn't worth the obstacles associated with the crimes of Team Rocket, Team Galactic, or any other 'evil' organization. He was sick of being chased down and he was sick of being asked to do things just because he was stronger than any regular pokemon. He had even come to consider mortals lazy, in which they asked their gods to do their work for them because they couldn't do it themselves.

He grunted as he eyed the counterparts who spoke with one another throughout the room. Their voices came to form a big mesh of mixed conversations - and all about things he didn't care about.

He was always alone, because he lacked a counterpart. Arceus had told him that he had meant to be a trio with Groudon and Kyogre, but due to the fact that he never got along well with Groudon, he failed to agree with this. He saw himself as a loner – the one being among the council who didn't really have a large socialization zone – and he didn't care, either. He didn't mind that he was on his own, that the only communication he had with most legendaries were a few spoken words of encouragement or anger, or perhaps a reminder of what Arceus had said during a prior meeting. He was used to being isolated - to having to take care of himself instead of looking out for a counterpart, or having a counterpart look out for him.

And he preferred it this way.

He believed that teamwork added weight to his shoulders. With such an advantage came the cost of having to look out for hides other than his own. He never felt in need for company, nor was he ever jealous of the other legendaries. He didn't will to do anything for someone else, or risk his life to save them if required.

Although…

His eyes flickered to the ground.

He did sometimes wonder what it felt like to have a counterpart - to have someone to talk to, instead of a simple ally that he could exchange words with when passing them by in the Hall. Even if he didn't _need_ it, he still couldn't help but feel curiosity toward what it was possibly like...

Rayquaza growled to himself and shook the thought away. He was a loner and he was perfectly fine with that! He didn't need anyone. He didn't want anyone. There was him and only him.

The green dragon snorted again before his eyes wandered over the room. When they fell upon the figure of Latias in the corner of the quarters, he couldn't help but tilt his head at the sight of her depressed countenance. Her eyes, big as ever, faced the ground, narrowed and dark. He hummed in bewilderment, as well as annoyance. He knew very well why the red and white dragon was sad.

She had thought of Latios…again.

He knew that tragedies were hard to deal with, but he also knew that it had been a few years since Latias had lost her brother. She wasted her time lingering with the casualty - and although no one else did, Rayquaza noticed her lack of contribution to grouped projects among the council because of it. Even he, the being whose philosophy was to take care of his own hide, worked together with others when required, so her failure to do so couldn't help but disappoint him.

And not only that but…he didn't like seeing her sad.

He couldn't explain why. When the death of Latios was still recent, most of the legendaries had been hurt tremendously by it. They all comforted Latias while Rayquaza watched from afar. She was alone…like him, counterpart-less. He felt somewhat sympathetic for her, since he knew that she wasn't used to such a lifestyle. When Latios was still alive, she and her brother were together. Always.

Like counterparts.

Perhaps it was the fact that he always lacked a counterpart did his sadness toward the event remain undefined. He didn't know the feeling of having one, as she didn't with not having one.

Rayquaza blinked when he saw her make her way to the exit in a sluggish manner. She disappeared behind the golden doors that broke off into the meeting room and the halls behind it. A frown crossed his snout, his brow quirked. When he looked around, it surprised him to see no other legendary follow her. No one else noticed her departure. As he thought more about it, though, it actually wasn't that shocking, because all of the legendaries had been too busy talking to their counterparts to notice.

Rayquaza grunted at the idea. At the same time, that small sensation of sympathy grew inside of him. He even knew that talking to someone was the best way to release bottled aches and pains, and if no one was going to push some sense into Latias this time...

He got up and followed her path. He didn't know why he was going after her to talk. Perhaps it was the implication that no one else was going to do so. If no one comforted her, then it guaranteed her lack of contribution on the next grouped mission.

Arceus forbid if anyone didn't do their responsibilities in _his_ presence, after all.

Besides, he thought, this moment seemed like the perfect time for him to provide her with his own advice...

* * *

Rayquaza left the voice-filled meeting room behind and emerged into the back hallways. His eyes searched for the petite form of Latias as he floated down the golden walls that made up the Legend Temple. He kept his ears open for any shifts of movement – anything to help pinpoint her location. He hoped for a second that she hadn't returned to Alto Mare.

The echo of a sniff expanded outward across the hollow air. Rayquaza looked around for the source. There was an intersection not too far down, where the cries that followed seemed to come from behind the corner. He grunted with recognition and approached the corner.

As he coiled his snakelike body to turn, Latias' figure came into view. She sat on the ground with her back against the wall. Her humanlike arms hid her wet eyes. The rest of her posture leaked with depression – so much that Rayquaza had to swallow a lump that formed in his throat at the sight. He floated closer until Latias let out a startled squeak. She turned her eyes to him, in which redness painted them into dark seas, and he had an unexplainable urge to frown.

"Hey…Ray," she said, using the childishness nickname she had made for him long ago – the one that made him cringe with annoyance.

He would've lectured her then and there and told her what he wanted to tell her - about how lingering with her brother's death didn't help the other legendaries or herself. But, at the sight of her, he suddenly felt as if his choice of words wouldn't help the situation, either. His claims that she looked 'weak' and needed to toughen up didn't seem like good advice. He wanted her to stop crying, not add another piece of wood to her bonfire of depression.

"Thinking about Latios again?" was all he could bring himself to say. His tone didn't match 'angry' or 'disappointed.' But, emotionless, as if open to any emotion Latias needed it to be.

The red and white dragon turned away. Aware of how many times pokemon had told her that she had to move on, it surprised her that Rayquaza, of all legendaries, was the one who had gone after her this time. He had never done so before; not to mention it seemed abnormal for the large, draconic snake.

She didn't answer because she didn't know what to say. She didn't want to sound pitiful or weak, but she knew she couldn't hold it in forever.

"You can tell me, you know."

Latias blinked. She turned to eye Rayquaza and watched as his gaze narrowed, his tiny claws crossed against his armored chest. He already knew that she thought of Latios. She confirmed it with a weary nod and a mumble of his name and prepared herself to face a lecture or a snort of arrogance. Rayquaza was the type of pokemon to do such a thing, after all. Everyone could predict him because he had grown to be so predictable.

But, he sighed and floated downward, until he leaned against the same wall and sat right beside her. He didn't turn his eyes to her; instead, he kept them directed toward the corridor ahead.

"Listen…" he said, tone quiet. "You can't dwell on the past, Latias. Yes, Latios died, but…crying for him…it ain't gonna bring him back."

Latias turned her head away and took his words into mind. She had heard advice of similar qualities, but the sole fact that it came from Rayquaza made it feel different.

"I know what it feels like to be alone…" he added. "I know what it feels like to not have a counterpart and I know you're not used to this lifestyle yet, but you will get used to it. I mean, I have…"

"I just…" she said. Her voice hinted fresh tears, although she held them in like she had taught herself to do. "I feel so alone, Ray…I would do anything to have…someone…again…for even just a few days."

Rayquaza turned to her, his mouth slightly gaped. Her words had come out with such meaning as if he could really relate. When he returned to his earlier thoughts, he could no longer deny that he wouldn't mind having someone as well, even if it was just temporary and he had learned to stand alone. He wanted to know what it felt like to have a counterpart, because it wouldn't hurt to experience it.

"What if…I were to be your counterpart…?"

As if frantically correcting a phrase that would cause worldwide mayhem if uttered, Rayquaza slapped his claws over his mouth. Why did he say that? _Why did he say that_? He mentally damned his vocal cords to the fiery pits of Hell.

He reluctantly turned to face Latias. He grimaced at her expression, now full of realization – as if the idea answered her prayers.

He shouldn't have said that.

_He shouldn't have said that._

"Ray…you would really do that?" she asked.

Rayquaza knew he couldn't escape this one without hassle. If he declined it, he would hurt her more and wouldn't really help either of them.

But, if he accepted…

The green dragon's eyes lowered to the ground as he pondered on the advantages of such an experiment. He would be able to see what it felt like to have a counterpart. Latias would have a temporary companion to help diminish her lonesome self.

Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

He turned to her and opened his mouth. Latias widened her grin, and he quickly said, "_A week_! _One week_! Okay? I'll help you for _one_ week. One. Week. And then this temporary counterpart nonsense is _over with_!" He frowned and crossed his arms again.

Latias squealed. "_Thank you so much, Ray_!"

She jumped for joy. Rayquaza rolled his eyes and somewhat regretted what he had just agreed to do.

However, when Latias rushed forward and hugged his face, his scales warmed up. He thought of one thing and one thing only:

_I sure hope having a counterpart is worth it._

A cold sensation shot up his spine; Latias' feathers felt so soft.

_And I sure as hell hope no one's around to see this…_

* * *

**To Be Continued**

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The next chap will be out soon!


	2. Destination Unknown

Hey peoples!

Here's the next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Destination Unknown**

* * *

"…you want to do…what?"

Latias gulped and glanced toward Rayquaza, who floated beside her. His serious gaze bore into the bewildered one of Arceus, as the godlike pokemon stood on top of his pedestal in the Hall of Legends' meeting room. He had just been informed of the temporary counterpartlike bond the two dragons had established an hour ago.

The other legendaries around the room quirked their brows. Some saw it as a joke due to Rayquaza's renowned selfishness, while others blinked at the sole fact that such a thing was even possible.

Arceus' gold eyes remained widened, a look uncommonly seen on the Original One's face. Latias and Rayquaza serving as temporary counterparts to one another? He had indeed noticed Latias' depression - a veil of tribulations that, since Latios' death, had followed her like a phantom with separation anxiety. But had Rayquaza really decided to serve as her counterpart to help ease her anguish? The god pokemon was simply amazed by the fact that Rayquaza had been the one to volunteer. Sure enough, he originally meant for Rayquaza to become a trio with Kyogre and Groudon, but the emerald snake had never bonded with his two supposed partners.

Rayquaza threw a quick frown toward the other legendaries. He could hear their scoffs at his need to help Latias. He also hoped it would help rebuild his exterior; the generous act he would assist in wasn't healthy for his loner reputation.

Latias, on the other hand, didn't think anything of the opinions on the plan. Instead, she hoped Arceus wouldn't find a reason to refuse their experiment.

"Well…" Arceus said. "…I suppose it wouldn't hurt to pull through on your little plan for the next week. I mean, I don't see what harm could from it. If you're positive, Latias, that it will help you deal better with Latios' unfortunate passing, then I'm all for it."

Latias grinned. Rayquaza rolled his eyes as he had done before, but he was relieved that Arceus had accepted their plan. The legendaries behind them smiled at the sight of Latias' happiness.

Arceus hummed in approval before he brought his gaze to Rayquaza. He knew that Rayquaza was short-tempered and used to being alone; teamwork of any sort, even on grouped occasions, was awkward for him to follow. With the case that he now had to care for someone other than himself, disaster could easily happen.

"Now, Rayquaza," Arceus said, those thoughts still in his head, "being a counterpart to another requires major responsibility and manners. You can no longer go off on your own - Latias is now your partner. Treat her like a loved sibling, care for her as she does to you, and when she is in danger, you must be willing to put your life on the line to save her. Wherever you go, she goes, and vice versa."

Rayquaza tightened his frown, but said nothing. Latias floated over and turned her almond-shaped eyes to Arceus, who nodded as he met her gaze.

"As counterparts you both need to remain in contact," he said, "or at least be in the same proximity where communication is enabled. Seeing as how Rayquaza's cave is in Hoenn and Alto Mare resides in Johto, you both will need to either choose a place that would bring you to be close to one another, or debate on whether location – your cave, Rayquaza, or Alto Mare – would be more appealing if you wish to stay at one of those locations. I will leave it up to you to decide, but I must tell you that, despite that this is only temporary, for the entire next week you both will be seen and treated like counterparts. You will perform requests as a team, thus working together, and" – Arceus let out a coarse sigh; worry for the possible future had suddenly formed in his mind – "for the love of Alpha and Omega, please – I repeat – _please_ do not give me a reason to regret allowing this."

Rayquaza blinked, as did Latias. They both exchanged looks, where they realized that the legendaries behind them shifted to avoid their gazes. Questions and bets on how long the partnership would last rose up in whispers. With Rayquaza's known lonerlike self and Latias' need to make everything shine, they both seemed like direct opposites – atoms ready to clash together and imitate the destructive force of an atomic bomb.

Nonetheless, with everything explained and sorted out, Arceus turned his head up to the legendaries that stood in the back. "With that said," he called out, "court is adjourned. You may return to your posts on the planet!"

He shot a look toward Rayquaza and Latias as the other legendaries began to disperse toward the room's exit; a clear reminder that, if they did mess up on something big, then the idea of a partnership between them would be over, justified by a lecture from him and a ban on trying something similar for the remainder of the period.

But, Arceus also felt relieved.

Latias was most likely the best chance the council had of bringing out any good that resided in Rayquaza's buried heart.

* * *

"So…where do you want to stay?"

Rayquaza turned his eyes toward his new counterpart. He hadn't paid much attention to her since Arceus had told them what it took to be a good partner to one another, his mind filled with the hassles involved in the experiment. He wasn't blind; he, too, knew that his contribution in aiding Latias was abnormally nice for his case. He just wished the other legendaries' didn't have to see it.

They both floated down the empty corridors. Rayquaza thought over Latias' question and arched a brow. He didn't feel like searching for a new place where they could stay. With how manmade towns and other structures expanded over the land, it would be hard to find a simple ditch that wasn't in the proximity of a filled forest or isolated farm. If he stayed with Latias and an argument occured, they would attract attention from miles away. He wanted somewhere where at least one of them knew the boundaries well.

There was his cave – a nice, secretive location in the top corner of Hoenn where he hadn't seen a single human during his entire stay. It was large and damp inside, somewhat humid, but yet a good choice for hot and dry days. It was within a large forest, hidden beneath a blanket of tall trees, in which any being without a map would get lost in a matter of minutes. He liked secluded places, so his cave was the best option in his mind.

However, Latias mentally thought of her own suggestion, Alto Mare. The native pokemon there were friendly, as were the townspeople, and her requirement to protect the Soul Dew still existed. She turned to Rayquaza and opened her mouth.

"_Alto Mare_?" he echoed a second later. He glared. A cramped place like Alto Mare was not something he liked. In fact, he was certain that, if he were to go there, apocalyptic mayhem would spread throughout the town's streets; either from his sudden appearance, or how he would claw his eyes out at a lack of privacy.

Latias ignored his tone and simply said, "Yeah! The people there are so friendly. You'll fit in in no time!"

Rayquaza snorted through his nostrils before he crossed his arms again. He failed to see how he would possibly fit in – an oversized, loner dragon in a location built from kindness and generosity, stuff irrelevant to his daily ways. "How do you expect me to fit in there?" he asked, eyes still narrowed.

Latias placed her claw to her chin. "Well, the people accept me. Why can't they accept you? Definitely since we're now counterparts? Besides," she added as she floated forward and stopped right in front of him, "I need to protect the Soul Dew. It's my duty."

Rayquaza rolled his eyes. "Why can't you simply get the pokemon there to watch it for one week? Sure enough, if you're such a 'renowned' friend, they'll do it for you."

Latias shook her head. "I promised on my brother's spirit that I would watch it with my life. Even with this thingy we're doing I can't break that promise."

"You're thinking of Latios again," Rayquaza muttered. "The whole point of this is to help get your mind off of your brother, and you're not-"

He was cut off when Latias sighed. Her eyes became glossy, and Rayquaza regretted his words and had an urge to smack himself across the forehead. He knew that protecting the Soul Dew was Latias' mission. Even if it was only one week he couldn't allow her to neglect her duties. When he thought about it, doing such a thing broke the whole rule of remembering responsibilities that he had configured earlier.

"Please, Ray!" Latias crossed her claws, her eyes deep.

Rayquaza blinked. He turned his head away and tried to avoid how close Latias floated toward his face. It wasn't long before he couldn't avoid looking into her eyes without having to move backward.

"Alright! _Alright_!" he said. "We'll stay in Alto Mare! Just get that look off your face! You're embarrassing yourself!"

Latias only smiled.

She turned around and moved toward the exit at the end of the hall. Rayquaza lingered behind to roll his eyes for the hundreth time that day.

_Damn that look of hers..._

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Next chap coming soon!


	3. First Impressions

Hey peoples!

Here's the next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 3: First Impressions**

* * *

After Rayquaza and Latias left the Hall of Legends and returned to the mortal world, the two dragons quickly made their way over the sea of trees that covered the ground they soared above. It was still early in the day, the sun only inches away from the horizon, and bundles of clouds slowly made their way across the sky.

The water-based town of Alto Mare was about ten minutes away when they considered their speed. The two dragons flew high to make sure that any mortals on the ground mistook them for regular flying pokemon. Rayquaza frowned as he thought about this. According to Latias, the townspeople of Alto Mare quickly accepted the gods of the pokemon world. There wouldn't be trouble when they arrived.

His goals were to settle into Alto Mare, spend a week to remind Latias what it felt like to have a counterpart again, and then move on. He didn't want to dwell on this and make it daily to be so generous and understanding, when he knew that such an attitude would eventually mold him into a soft and sensitive individual - one easy to breakdown or manipulate. He was Rayquaza - the king of the skies! – not a sap-trap in which anybody could mooch off of when they were unable to take care of themselves. He did his job as a legendary and that's all that was important.

He had seen hurt all over the world – pain, misery, anguish, regret, bereavements; the whole deal. He had lived on the planet and in the ozone layer since his birth under Arceus' watch, as he had been forged to guard the skies that loomed over mortals. Maybe, as he watched pokemon befriend humanity and humanity become wiser, he had seen the downfalls of it all. War. Crime. Power. Envy.

The death of Latios had originated through two humans' lust for power. Perhaps this was why Rayquaza found no reason to linger in the past. Latios' death, as any other legendary's, was something to be feared, but also something to be expected. Latios gave up his life for his duty – to protect the town in which he resided; as well as the Soul Dew, the artifact he had strived himself to guard.

And Latias – the sister he loved and the counterpart he kept safe.

Even gods died. That was something most of the other Legendaries didn't understand. Rayquaza was aware of it. He had always been.

"Look, Ray!"

Latias' voice broke Rayquaza from his thoughts. He gazed forward. The water-based town of Alto Mare was visible off the coast of Azalea. He could see the many canals that ran through the town's body - indents upon its cobblestone flesh. Both tall and small buildings, their surfaces made of many different colors of brick, hid away by the large amounts of greenery that covered their rooftops, concealing the amazing architectural brilliance of their patternlike windows and walls. People – both humans and pokemon alike – entered through their various arched doorways.

The other inhabitants of Alto Mare, which consisted of tourists and passing trainers, crossed the elegant bridges that connected parts of the town separated by the canals. Gondolas sailed down the main waterways and carried passengers eager to travel around and throughout from the point of view of the main transportation system. Alleyways of any sort were hidden by the compacted structures of the city. Parades for various celebrations; trading stalls; and public, outside conventions took place among the squares of the town – openings in which pictures of legendary pokemon were carved into the walls and ground by large, beautiful fountains that somehow amplified the paintings' ravishing imagery.

Rayquaza had never been to Alto Mare. He had seen the futuristic phenomena shown in the Hoenn city of La'Rousse, and he had heard the orchestralike chimes of the Time-Space Tower's bells in Alamos Town, Sinnoh. Never, though, had he ever witnessed the magnificent sight of Alto Mare – a sight that brought his eyes to widen.

"So, what do you think?" Latias asked from the side.

Rayquaza shook his thoughts away and turned to her. Her bright gaze transfixed on him in the form of a warm glance; awareness that he had never been to her hometown, never having even flown over it during one of his many airborne trips over Johto. He shifted beneath her stare.

He blinked when Latias giggled and floated forward. She shot one last look at Alto Mare before she craned her neck to face him, her grin as big as ever.

"Well, you ready? Come on!"

With that, she shot toward the town and left Rayquaza to grit his teeth. He looked down with slight uneasiness, worried for the inhabitants' response to his sudden, unexplained arrival. Latias had already told him that they accepted the gods of the world because of her, but he wasn't scared of their thoughts toward him, but more for their physical reactions. Would a power hungry trainer attempt to hunt him down, or the town move on full alert upon seeing his presence in the area? He wasn't exactly small like Latias, nor was he as friendly-looking either. He didn't worry for what would happen _if_ someone did attempt to confront him – he was Rayquaza; he could blow the buildings off their platforms if he wanted to – but he was concerned for the fact that he didn't want to have to put the town through such turmoil.

"Come on!"

Latias' voice called out for him again. She floated in front of one of the town's entrance arches, her red figure nearly hidden across the structure's same-colored exterior.

Rayquaza narrowed his eyes and cleared his head. He took a deep breath before he flew toward her.

"They're gonna love you!" Latias said once he was close enough to hear.

He grunted in disbelief.

Latias flew forward and through the archway that marked the entrance into the town of Alto Mare.

And, reluctantly, Rayquaza followed.

* * *

His worries were proven irrelevant.

The people exploded with cheer and wide beams once they saw the ancient figure of Rayquaza hover over their town. He gazed upon the inhabitants with pride; he didn't want to break his usual façade in front of a crowd that apparently cherished him like they did their very own native legendary.

Speaking of which, Latias floated among the crowd and notified the oblivious to Rayquaza's presence. They all looked up at him in awe, including the trainers whose pokemon considered the sight to be a once-in-a-lifetime moment. People even eyed him from their spots on the ferry boats that had just arrived from Cherrygrove.

"Looks, it's the sky king, Rayquaza!"

"Whoa, what is he doing here?"

"Who cares? Maybe he's here to bless our town!"

"Maybe he's here to protect it!"

"Latias seems to like him!"

"Then I guess he must be good!"

Rayquaza didn't know if he should smirk or frown.

He grunted when Latias tugged his claw, reminding him of her existence. He followed her as she led him over the town, where more and more residents peered up at him from their houses' windows. His giant shadow swam across the cobblestone streets and convinced the pokemon that resided within the alleyways to gape their mouths at him.

"I told you they would like you," Latias said as she performed a playful twirl in the air.

Rayquaza was too surprised by the town's warm reaction to his presence that he didn't even notice her speak. He felt relieved that he would be able to live among Alto Mare without having to deal with curious trainers or nosy reporters hungry to get a snapshot of him for the daily paper.

He let out a sigh. He realized then that Latias led him toward a 'darkened' part of the town – the crowds' cheers of celebration grew dim with distance. The streets lacked people, and every now and then a small pokemon was the only noticeable figure within the deserted alleyways. A mysterious semblance radiated from the misty crannies that marked the town's lesser-populated areas. Rayquaza quirked his brow and eyed the ocean as it came closer. Its waves purred as its body stretched to the illuminated horizon.

"Where are we going?" he asked, watching Latias sink lower into the air until she was right above a house's square-shaped rooftop.

She didn't answer; instead, she shot him a bright look before she continued forward. Rayquaza snorted at her ignorance, but he followed her all the same, floating as slowly as she was as they snaked their way around the dusty, deserted streets of Alto Mare. Eventually, they came upon a wall – a dead end – and the emerald dragon allowed his eyes to wander over the surroundings. Everything was quiet, as if the place was a hidden sanctuary of some sort. When he was about to ask Latias why they had stopped by a wall, his gaze slid over to notice-

She was gone.

His face fell. He swung his head around and looked for his counterpart. Surrounded only by deserted buildings, he wondered how she had vanished into thin air.

"Latias?" he said. He lowered back down to the cobblestone pavement and scowled. He wouldn't be surprised if Latias pulled a prank on him. "Latias?"

"In here!"

The dragon jumped at the sudden reply. He turned around to notice that Latias gazed at him…

…and her head stuck out of the wall that made up the dead end of the alleyway.

His jaw dropped.

Latias arched a brow and wondered why he looked so surprised. She glanced downward and noticed that her head magically emerged from the brick wall. She chuckled at her own forgetfulness to explain how such a thing was even possible.

"Sorry, Ray," she said. When Rayquaza narrowed his eyes at her, she only laughed again and sunk her head back into the wall. Her voice followed with: "Just follow me!"

Rayquaza's face fell with skepticism. "How am I supposed to fit?"

"Just suck in your gut!" came Latias' distant response. "Come on!"

Rayquaza groaned. He knew that he would have to get through one way or another. He took in a deep breath, slowly let it out, and then kneeled down until he was eye-level with the magical wall. Then, he positioned himself, gritted his teeth and closed his eyes before he shot forward and into the wall. Ripples glided across the bricks' waterlike surface as he passed through.

Coldness covered his scales as he left the warmth of the sun. A faint scent of water entered his nose. He sniffed, and his muscles eased at the relaxing sensation. He opened his eyes and realized that he laid on what felt like smooth pavement. Latias' familiar laughter echoed throughout the quiet area. Soon, his vision cleared.

Trees of all sizes and shapes covered the grassy grounds. The tops of the towering ones allowed little sunlight to peak in, which gave the area a semblance of seclusion. Whatever glimpses of white that came through lit the air only a little bit. Installed pavements marked pathways through the forest. Their gray color matched the statues that were placed throughout the grounds, as if for a decorative effect. He noticed that he laid below a sort of balcony, and he looked up to see that he was in a manmade entrance – the hallway stretched around the entire garden, covered with moss and concealed away behind a collage of green hues. Apart from that, he could see a small pond surrounded by stone structures thrive with life not too far ahead. Water pokemon, mostly poliwag, swam in it and watched him with their own surprise.

Rayquaza got up and began to float down one of the pathways that went deeper into the secluded forest. He admired the sights, though he soon stopped when he spotted Latias sway on a swing that hung down from one of the tall trees. When she saw him approach, she smiled warmly and floated over.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It's…beautiful." He looked at her. "Is this where you and Latios stayed?"

Latias grimaced at the mention of her brother, but shook it away before Rayquaza could notice. "Yup," she said, "we called this place the Secret Garden." She blinked, as if in realization, and her smile grew. "Hey, you wanna see it?"

"See what?"

Latias floated toward a fountain that was at the end of a long staircase. Rayquaza followed his counterpart through the shrubs and trees and stopped where she was - right in front of the pool of water that surged through the fountain's columns. He nearly stumbled back as a large wave of energy vibrated throughout his body. The energy had a good feeling to it, though, and consisted of a light aura.

He looked toward the tip of the fountain and froze. An orb shined, encased protectively on a metallic support beneath the water's bubbling surface. The inside of it swirled with a collage of colors. It almost appeared as a universe of pure light that thrived in the core of the small stone. It didn't take much to comprehend what the petite object was, as it radiated with immense power - the strength that kept Alto Mare alive.

The Soul Dew.

He stared at the orb with widened eyes and watched it illuminate the water that surrounded its surface and cage.

"Latios made the new Soul Dew."

Rayquaza escaped his trancelike state and turned to Latias. Her tone hadn't carried any hues of excitement, but instead softness, as if the sight of the Soul Dew was an emotional moment for her. His eyes flickered back to the said orb before he said, "New?"

"When Latios died," Latias said, "the Soul Dew was also destroyed. He put his soul into making a new one, like our father did with the one before it."

Rayquaza admired the petite treasure as it flourished. With the image of Latios in his mind, he began to recognize the familiar swirl of blue and white that surged through the patterns already thriving within it. It gave the semblance that Latios' spirit really did reside in there, watching over both Alto Mare and his sister. A sniff from the side convinced Rayquaza to turn his head to Latias, who quickly wiped her eyes with her arm. The sight pained him, but he hid it with a poker face and brought his tiny claw to cover her shoulder.

"It's okay," he muttered, ignoring the urge to scold her for thinking about her brother.

She looked at him, eyes slightly red, and she smiled before she allowed her claw to rest on top of his.

Warmth filled his heart. He quickly took his claw away and turned his head in the other direction to avoid her gaze. A few seconds after, he slowly looked toward his counterpart and noticed that she cradled her claw against her chest. The white parts of her face had gained a pink hue.

Was she…?

Rayquaza shook the thought away. "Well, this place is homey," he said. "I can work here for a week."

Silence followed. He turned toward Latias-

He was met in the face with a wave of feathers. He flailed around as Latias' body blocked his eyesight. She laughed and told him about how much fun they were going to have, cuddling his snout closer to her chest in a warm embrace. Eventually, with his constant comments on how he couldn't see, Latias let go and met his following glare, where she reverted her eyes away and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

He let out a sigh and waved the incident away with his claw.

Her smile returned.

"Hey, Latias? Latias?"

Rayquaza froze. A voice he didn't recognize. Who was here? Was it a pokemon? A human? A friend of Latias? He turned to look at Latias, who smiled with recognition when the human figure of a brown-haired woman appeared at the entrance into the garden. He hoped that it was someone who knew of his presence in the town.

And, she wasn't. When the woman caught sight of the large, green dragon that floated by Latias in front of the Soul Dew's fountain, she dropped the plate of cookies she held and stared. She stepped back and fell onto her backside, her eyes widened.

"Great God, Rayquaza!"

Immediately Latias went into a gesturing frenzy. She physically answered all of the woman's questions on why the fabled sky king was here. She floated over to Rayquaza and hugged his face. Rayquaza did nothing and only hoped that it would help the human understand the situation. When Latias was done, the woman seemed to understand, as she soon smiled upon witnessing Latias point to the Soul Dew – which, she could tell, meant Latios – and then point to Rayquaza.

"It is nice to meet your acquaintance, Rayquaza," the woman said with a respectful bow. "My name's Bianca."

Rayquaza exchanged a look with Latias, who smiled and signified that this 'Bianca' was an ally. He returned his attention to the said human and also bowed his head.

"From what Latias is telling me," Bianca said, "you're here to help protect the Soul Dew?"

Rayquaza hesitated. Then, he nodded.

Bianca laughed. "I guess that's why Alto Mare seems so riled up. We know all about the legendary pokemon – the gods of the world – but it's not everyday when we get to see them in person." She turned her eyes to Latias. "Latias needed a playmate, anyway. She's been looking pretty sad ever since Latios died." She took a few steps back and picked up the plate of cookies that miraculously didn't break when she dropped them, and she set them right in front of Latias and Rayquaza. "I made these this morning. Go ahead and have one, Rayquaza. Alto Mare already seems to love your presence, so I'm sure you'll fit in in no time. It's nice to see you legendaries look out for each other."

Latias floated forward to grab a cookie. She munched on it and smiled at its sweet taste. Bianca chuckled and patted the dragon on the head as she nuzzled into her.

"Well, I gotta go help my grandpa at the shop, so I'll see you two later," Bianca said. She walked away toward the exit out of the garden.

But, before she left, she looked back to see Latias pounce on Rayquaza's face. The green dragon struggled to escape from her affectionate hold. His cheeks had succumbed to a light blush.

Bianca smiled warmly.

"Maybe 'playmate' is an understatement…" she said to herself.

* * *

"Genghis? Hey…erm…Genghis?"

A man with chartreuse-colored hair blinked and turned his cobalt eyes to the raven-haired man beside him, who had just jumped down from his post. Dressed in matching black attire, the two humans stood quietly on their small boat that sat in the waters outside of Alto Mare. It bobbed up and down on the calm waves that came by every now and then.

"What is it, Khan?" Genghis asked. His green bangs enshrouded most of his left eye. He ran his fingers through them. "Did you spot Latias?"

The raven-haired man – Khan – rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He tried his best not to cower underneath Genghis' demonic glare. "I, uh…yeah. I spotted her a while ago…"

Genghis' face fell. " 'A while ago'?" He snarled and revealed his gritted teeth. "Why didn't you tell me then?"

Khan squeaked. His emerald eyes grew bright. He forced himself to stand up straight. "B-because," he quickly said, "I saw Rayquaza with her."

Genghis blinked. He pulled back and scratched his temple, pondering on why Rayquaza – the sky king of all legends – was here. With Latias. In Alto Mare. Was he friends with Latias? His presence in the area was random, something beyond the things Genghis had prepared himself to see when accepting the mission they were on.

"If Rayquaza is here to stay for whatever reason," he said to Khan, who fumbled with the binoculars in his hands, "then stealing the Soul Dew is going to be a lot more harder than we thought…"

Khan hummed in agreement. With slight skepticism, he said, "You sure we're cut out for this mission? I mean, Annie and Oakley had already attempted to do this and look where they're at – jail! Latios was alive then, so if Rayquaza is here on our own try, what's _our_ odds of being successful?"

"Why, my dear brother," Genghis said, a smirk on his face, "_our_ odds are still high. It will just be a little more of a challenge, that's all." His green eyebrows furrowed. "Annie and Oakley were fools, anyway! They were stealing the Soul Dew for their own personal gain – not for the sake of Team Rocket, who actually deserve to have such power under their hands."

Khan scratched the tip of his nose, his eyes bright and lost. "Wait, did Giovanni even grant us permission to pull through on this? Last time I checked, getting the Soul Dew was an old case that was not to be reopened-"

He was cut off when Genghis, whose eyebrow had begun to twitch upon his recent words, slammed his fist hard against the back of his head. Khan keeled over in pain.

"We're getting the Soul Dew for Giovanni," Genghis sneered between gritted teeth, fist still clenched. The knuckles throbbed, though he ignored it. "Giovanni personally wants us to."

"_What_? I don't remember hearing him ever saying that-"

Khan was interrupted again by another wham to the head.

"I swear," Genghis hissed, now massaging his hand, "you're the most retarded brother I know."

Soon, Genghis walked up to the edge of the boat and watched the island of Alto Mare thrive in the light of the sun. Reluctantly, his brother and partner, Khan, soon appeared beside him, rubbing the back of his aching head.

Genghis narrowed his eyes. "First, we're gonna figure out how to get past Rayquaza and Latias, and then we're gonna get the Soul Dew."

"And give it to Giovanni…?"

Genghis snorted. "Yes…and give it to Giovanni."

"Then the immense power of it will reside with Team Rocket?"

Genghis fleered, as his cobalt eyes twinkled with mischief. "Yes."

"Oh."

Silence. Then:

"So…is this the part where we laugh evilly into the air?"

"Khan, shut up."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Hehe, well, Rayquaza is already on the verge of fitting into the homey town, but with Genghis and Khan - two lone Rocket grunts determined to get the Soul Dew - will trouble arise soon? Will Rayquaza learn to be a good counterpart? Will Latias learn how to cope with Latios' death better? Is Genghis really getting the Soul Dew for Team Rocket or...somebody else?

Next chap is coming soon!


	4. The Task at Hand

Hey peoples!

Onto the next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Task at Hand**

* * *

"So…what'd you think of Bianca?"

Rayquaza blinked and turned his eyes to Latias, who floated beside his body and reached for another cookie from the plate in front of them. They were still in the Secret Garden that resided in Alto Mare, having sat down once the human, Bianca, came and delivered the plate of baked sweets. In the process, she met Rayquaza for the first time and learned of his reason for staying. It was quiet after she departed. Latias had immediately stuffed her mouth full with the cookies on the plate. Rayquaza had tried one for kicks, where he went on to discover that they were actually quite good.

He didn't really want to eat another one after that, though. He decided to save the gooey richness of the cookies for his counterpart, who seemed more used to the sugar rushes gained from consuming the things. She didn't complain; instead, she continued with throwing them down her throat. Rayquaza was surprised that she had managed to avoid choking in the midst of it.

"Chew," he said.

Latias glanced at him with a full mouth. Bits of chocolate chips stuck to the feathers around her jaw. She swallowed with a large gulp.

Rayquaza swore that he could see the shapes of the cookies slide down her long neck. He stared. Now he was concerned on a number of levels.

Latias reached for the last cookie. She held it as she brought her eyes to her counterpart and frowned. "Sorry, Ray," she said with a nervous chuckle. "It's just that Bianca makes the best cookies in the world!" Her face scrunched up. "Oh, and you didn't answer my question."

Rayquaza blinked again and broke away from the trance he had been stuck in from mentally thinking of the gruesome demise the cookie in the red and white dragon's claws seemed to be destined for by the tragic hands of Fate. "Huh? What?"

"What'd you think of Bianca?"

He looked at the ground. He thought over the semblance of kindness the said human woman had portrayed. His eyes brightened, but he kept his usual poker face. "She seems nice," he said with a shrug.

Latias arched an eyebrow at him.

He turned his head.

Then, as they made eye contact, Latias grinned. "I'm glad you like her, Ray!" she said. Her expression calmed down, and her yellowish-brown eyes radiated with calescence. "She's one of the humans who comforted me after Latios passed. She's always been there for me…"

Rayquaza turned away. He mentally scolded the whole situation. It was then and there where he just hoped that their week together would be able to solve this mess and he wouldn't have to see her sad. He didn't want to see her waste her life away mourning. He didn't want to see her miss out on the important duties of being a legendary...

He looked at her. She stared at the cookie in her claws with dark eyes.

...And he didn't want to see her sad.

He felt himself jolt when she suddenly turned her head to him, her eyes glossy, though her warm smile from before had returned. "Come to think of it," she said, "you've been there for me too, Ray – with doing this and all. Thank you."

Rayquaza could feel his heart flutter around in his chest as her words echoed throughout his mind. As far as he remembered, he had never been thanked for something in such a subdued manner. Because of this past acts of gratefulness given to him reluctantly by other legendaries had failed to make him feel helpful at all. But, this was the first time he actually felt…good, as if he had done something that truly made a difference. Though foreign to him, it was a nice sensation – a sensation that would've brought him to display a small smile if he wasn't so dedicated to being staid.

And arrogant.

He crossed his arms over his chest. The edges of his mouth twitched upward into a smirk. "Well," he said, "just don't think I do this sort of stuff often. If you're not happy, then its obvious you're going to neglect your duties as a legendary. This is all being done for the sake of the council."

He turned his head away before he could read Latias' expression. When silence was the only thing that came through on her part, he suddenly felt the urge to cringe, hoping that he hadn't been too harsh with his words. Despite that he was tough and determined to keep concern away from his ways, he didn't want to crush the spirit of his temporary counterpart.

That was just cold – even for him.

Then again, it was the truth. Reality needed to be faced, whether or not it was wanted.

Rayquaza sighed.

He slowly turned his head to look at Latias…

She stared at the cookie in her claws once again. Her face didn't display the anger he had worried it would, but instead showed a sense of thoughtfulness. She met his eyes. Her facial features showed no anger toward his words – or even the sadness it had maintained before.

"I know," she said, her voice casual. She returned her eyes to the cookie. "It's still cool that you're the one doing it, so thank you anyway."

Rayquaza faltered. "Uh," he said. "No problem."

Latias smiled again. She broke her cookie in half and held one part to the draconic snake beside her.

"Wanna share?" she asked.

Rayquaza met her eyes. He switched his attention between them and the cookie. He found himself smiling slightly as he took the piece she offered, watching as she ate hers in – this time – a civilized manner. He looked at his half. Recent events reran themselves through his head. He shrugged his shoulders and tossed the cookie into his mouth, savoring its taste.

His head perked up seconds later when his mind jolted with a message. Latias brought her eyes to him. His snout pointed to the sky, his eyes closed. They soon opened. "Arceus is calling us," he said, tone serious.

Latias closed her eyes and focused on sensing her own psychic connection with the god pokemon – the telepathic line that all legendaries shared with Arceus, so when he needed their assistance they would know. Sure enough, she caught the message as well, as she then turned her head to her counterpart and nodded.

Rayquaza hummed in bewilderment. Perhaps Arceus needed them both to fulfill a task, as legendary counterparts were usually assigned to do. Whatever it was, the draconic snake could feel himself frown at the thought.

"We should go," he reluctantly said.

Latias nodded again, oblivious to the whole fact that her counterpart had grown to despise doing missions.

As the two dragons made their way toward the exit out of the Secret Garden, Latias couldn't help but stop in place and tilt her brows. Worry mixed in with the color of her irises as she craned her neck to gaze at the stairs that led up to the Soul Dew's fountain. She had left the precious treasure alone on many instances to attend meetings, and she didn't have a problem with doing so for as long as it wasn't for a lengthy period of time.

However, even if she and Rayquaza weren't going to be gone for days on end, she still felt a slight tinge of suspiciousness fill her, as if something wasn't right. She soon shook these feelings away, though, as she knew that Arceus' orders were important. She followed Rayquaza out of the garden, where they took off into the afternoon sky and headed toward the Hall of Legends.

* * *

"Genghis?"

Khan turned his emerald eyes toward his brother, who leaned back in his chair, snoring loudly. The two Rocket grunts were still condemned to their small surveyance boat on the waters outside of Alto Mare. While Genghis had taken a nap break and forced Khan to keep watch for Rayquaza and Latias, Khan had spotted just that.

Of course, when Genghis slept, Khan knew that it was hard to wake him. He hopped down from his perch and walked toward his brother with a gulp. He set his binoculars down on the table beside the chair and licked his lips:

"_Gen-ghis! Wake up_!"

Genghis' eyes flew open. He squeaked as he toppled over from his chair and landed flat-face onto the wooden flooring of the boat.

Khan could only gaze down upon him with a grimace, mentally writing his will.

Genghis slammed his palms against the floor and hoisted himself up. He turned his cobalt eyes to his raven-haired brother, his entire countenance mutated into a demon's visage, and Khan flew backward with a squeal when he suddenly lunged forward.

"You idiot!" Genghis roared. "I was sleeping – _couldn't you see that_?"

Khan cringed, but straightened his posture as he forced himself to swallow his need to run away. Instead, he shot a look toward the sky, where he had spotted the legendary Rayquaza and Latias take off and disappear behind the overcast clouds. "Rayquaza and Latias have left the city," he said.

Genghis perked his head up, his eyes bright. "Really?"

Khan nodded. He tensed slightly when his brother strode forward toward the edge of the boat's railing, watching Alto Mare bathe in the light of the aged sun as it sailed across the sky.

Genghis planted a smirk across his lips as he let out a coarse chuckle. "Do you know where they headed out from?"

Khan squirmed and turned his eyes away. "Yeah, they flew out from somewhere towards the back-middle of the city."

"Perfect," Genghis said as his gaze sailed back to the distant sight of Alto Mare. "The Soul Dew is probably somewhere around there." As the edges of Khan's lips curved upward in sudden realization, Genghis crossed his arms behind his back, arrogance clinging to him. "Bring us in, my brother."

Khan nodded and scurried for the wheel. As the boat drove forward toward Alto Mare, Genghis' face darkened with a fleer.

And all at the thought of the Soul Dew's power in _his_ hands.

* * *

It wasn't long before Rayquaza and Latias arrived at the Hall of Legends, greeted by its golden hallways and templelike structure. Clouds soared around it and also served as its foundation. It was a stunning sight, needless to say; a sight that could rarely be seen by mortals, though Rayquaza and Latias ignored the architectural brilliance of it all, as it was a daily view in which they had grown used to. Because of this, their expressions stayed calm as they entered the deserted Hall. They made their way to the meeting room where Arceus tended to reside.

"Ah, you have come," Arceus said in a humble manner once they had floated through the door and into the room.

He stood tall on top of his pedestal that overlooked the jury seats, as well as the red carpet that crossed the gold floor.

Rayquaza simply grunted in reply, whereas Latias called out a gleeful hello before she and her counterpart took their places in front of the god pokemon's perch. They met his gold gaze.

"Have a mission for us?" Rayquaza asked.

Arceus chuckled. "'Aye, Rayquaza," he said, "I do have a task for you two."

Rayquaza scowled and crossed his arms. He mentally predicted that it was most likely an order to investigate a newly-established base, which would involve him having to yet again escape from the hold of the power-lusting crime syndicate that controlled it. Or maybe they would be assigned to help save a forest of pokemon from an erupting volcano, and afterward the pokemon would be eternally grateful, which, for some reason, would make Rayquaza feel more mad than honored. The draconic snake had never revealed to anyone that doing missions…bored him, and also lacked the ability to make him feel as if he actually made a difference in the world.

He sighed. It was his duty as a legendary, though, and his duties were all that was important.

"Come with me."

The emerald dragon blinked, returning to reality as Arceus stepped down from his pedestal and headed toward the corner of the room. Latias followed him, as did Rayquaza. They stopped in front of a group of objects laid in a heap on the floor, covered by a white sheet.

Rayquaza arched a brow. He sniffed the air that loomed over the sheet and cringed in response.

It smelled like…

…pigment?

He rose his crinkled eyes to Arceus, who only smirked.

The god pokemon faced the sheet and grabbed it between his teeth. He threw his head back and whisked it off of the objects it had covered.

Paint cans.

Rayquaza's face fell. Latias only blinked.

There were at least a dozen paint cans huddled in a group in front of them. Each one consisted of a different color that ranged from a deep blue to an emerald green. Two paintbrushes sat on top of the middle can. Though Latias appeared lost, Rayquaza could feel his spirit dim with what felt like fear.

"There's no better way to bond with your counterpart," Arceus said, "than to spend time together doing something constructive."

"_Painting_?" Rayquaza hissed. "You want us to paint? _How the hell is that constructive_?"

While Latias backed away from Rayquaza's sudden outburst, Arceus only allowed his smile to die down into a frown.

"You both have just started out as counterparts," he explained in a calm, civilized manner that clashed together with Rayquaza's hulking posture, "and I don't think you both know how to work together quite yet. I must admit that when I heard of your deal to be temporary allies, I thought all hell would break loose in a matter of days, seeing as how you both each carry attributes that would rival the other's. I don't want to send you on a serious mission or expect you two to spend a week together if one of you isn't coming back because the other murdered you out of the inability to coexist. Thus," he then said as he pointed his hoof toward the paint cans, "I order you two to paint the walls of the meeting room. Work together to come up with creative designs that will make the area seem to thrive with life. And, unless one of you know how to choke someone with a paintbrush, I think this is a nice beginning task for you two where you can't harm each other."

Rayquaza gawked at Arceus. His left eye twitched.

Meanwhile, Latias' expression displayed the complete opposite. She tapped her chin and smiled.

Arceus grinned. "Well, that's settled," he said. He stepped past Latias and Rayquaza, in which the emerald dragon now hung his head, whimpering. The god pokemon stopped by the entrance out of the meeting room. He turned around. "When I return," he said, "I hope to see the walls in here drenched with beauteous color. Prove to me that you two can work together, and I may consider sending you out on a more serious mission."

With that, he left.

Latias floated forward and opened up two cans of paint – one of yellow and one of black – and grabbed a paintbrush. In the midst of inspecting the colossal walls, she shot her bright eyes toward the paint in front of her. She grinned as a fun idea came to mind.

Meanwhile, Rayquaza let out a heavy sigh when he reminded himself that neglecting the task given to him wasn't going to make his life any easier. He grabbed the other paintbrush and mumbled to Latias: "Well, we better get started. Hopefully if we just paint with no distractions we can get this done with a lot less pain than possible." He turned his head to his counterpart. He quirked his brow; her back faced him–

She suddenly spun around. He jumped back. Her face had been painted on - the black and yellow colors formed a familiar pattern.

"Look, Ray!" she said with a laugh. "I'm a pikachu!"

…what had he done to deserve this?

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Haha, poor Ray. xD

The next chapter's gonna be so much fun to write. Hehe. Just hopefully it won't take me as long to update...


	5. Why So Serious?

Hey peoples!

Next chap! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Why So Serious?**

* * *

"What should we paint?" asked Latias as she dipped her paintbrush into the red paint in front of her.

Rayquaza, who floated beside her, tilted his head to examine how long the room's golden walls were. He frowned and loathed the task at hand more and more with each second. But, he knew that there was no escape out of an order from Arceus - definitely since the emerald dragon wasn't one to neglect responsibilities.

Even if they were responsibilities that made the god pokemon look like a wannabe rendition of Mr. Miyagi.

Needless to say, the king of the skies wouldn't be surprised if the qilinlike being soon burst through the doors into the conference room and reminded him about the important art of up and down strokes – and while wearing a funky Japanese headband.

Rayquaza sighed and shook the thoughts from his head. He dipped his own paintbrush into the can of yellow liquid before him, then turned his head to look at Latias, who examined her pikachu-themed face paint in the mirroring surface of the nearby wall.

He growled.

She turned to face him. "What?" she asked.

"Will you please wash that stuff off your face?" he said. He knew that their job would never get done if his counterpart wasted time using her own face as a personal canvas for fun. Despite this, Latias seemed to ignore him as she stared at her reflection and arched a brow. Rayquaza growled again and waved his claw. "Just...forget it. What should we paint?"

Latias floated upward and inspected the room around them. The walls were tall, their surfaces made of gold, and they reflected everything in front of them as blurry, copper-dubbed distortions - like a see-through door into a surreal alternate reality. She hummed and tapped her claw to her chin.

Rayquaza watched from below. Sure enough she could come up with a better design than he could, which was why he'd rather leave it up to her to decide on what they drew. If he took on the role of doing so, he would probably choose to do something boring and lifeless that Arceus would not approve of. Regardless that he hated pointing out his own downfalls, the green dragon didn't want to know what the god pokemon had in mind for another bond-strengthening task if this one was to fail horribly.

Latias continued to look around. She soon grinned and turned her bright eyes to Rayquaza, who met her gaze with a narrowed glare. "How about we paint a mural?" she said.

Rayquaza quirked a brow. "A mural? A mural of what?"

She shrugged her shoulders. The painted-black tips of her ears twitched as she lowered herself to the ground. "Maybe a mural of the legendaries?" she said as she counted the variety of colors they had in stock. "We could draw them all together and stuff."

"And I suppose one of us has talent in drawing figures?" Rayquaza asked. He knew that his artistic skills weren't great, another self fault he could admit.

Latias met his eyes and allowed her smile to die down. "Well-"

Rayquaza turned around and lifted the lid off a nearby paint can. "I mean, we should just do something simple," he said. He knew that the only member of the council with artistic talent was Dialga, as shown in his hobby of sculpting handheld diamonds into various shapes and figures. But that wouldn't help _their_ predicament.

"Done."

He blinked and raised his brows. He turned around to look at Latias. She held a wet paintbrush in her claw, in which green paint dripped from it. Her eyes focused on the wall in front of her. She looked at him, and then she backed away as he came closer to find out what she did.

His eyes widened.

On the wall was a picture of him. The details of his scales, expression, shadows, and any other figment of art were down to perfection, as if he had been cloned and then trapped within the foundation. His eyes shined gold, and his claws came out in an intimidating position. His opened jaw revealed his rows of scarlet-colored teeth. It appeared so lifelike.

Latias floated in the back, her head tilted to the side, eyes as wide and curious as ever.

Rayquaza turned to her and gawked. "How did you..."

Latias shrugged. "What? It was easy."

"How..." Rayquaza threw his claw outward toward the picture. His expression mirrored a mixture of emotions, which ranged from shock, to even a slight bit of jealousy. "Do you know what you just did? What do you mean it was _easy_?"

Latias laughed. "Of course it was easy!" She floated forward with her paintbrush in hand. "You see, you take this here paintbrush" - she held it out, dipped it in the pinkish paint below, and pointed it to the wall - "dip it in the paint, put the paintbrush on the wall, and" – she began to stroke the surface of the wall; in only a few seconds, she built an outline of Mew right beside the realistic portrait of her emerald counterpart – "_paint_."

She pulled away and dipped the paintbrush into a blue tub of paint for Mew's eyes. She then turned to various light colors to bring the catlike legendary's fur to life. When done, she placed her claws on her hips and backed up to admire her artwork with a smile.

Rayquaza's jaw practically touched the ground. He couldn't help but wonder what else Latias was good at. Cooking, perhaps? Role-playing? Gaming? Writing? He never knew she had it in her.

"I didn't know you could draw so…um, well."

Latias tilted her head, as if she didn't know what he talked about. She turned around to stare at her paintings. Her eyes flashed. "Oh!" she said with a gasp. "Really? Wow, thanks! I don't know where it came from. I guess I was just born with it. Or maybe it was from Bianca. She likes to draw, too!"

_Big things come in small packages_, Rayquaza thought.

He wanted to smile, though, because Latias' skills assured that maybe – just maybe – this task wouldn't be as annoying as he thought it would.

However, he held it in as he floated forward, grabbed his paintbrush, and eyed his counterpart. "Are we gonna paint that mural or what?" he asked.

Latias beamed and reached for her own paintbrush.

"I got the legendaries?" she said.

Rayquaza nodded. "Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with. I got the background...I think."

Latias squealed and she began to paint. She dipped her paintbrush into various colors and drew an outline of what appeared to be Darkrai.

Rayquaza looked at her and watched her work. He still felt amazed by her hidden talents.

And, before he could realize it, his frown turned into a smile.

* * *

Two hours later, the entire left wall of the meeting room was covered with half of the current legendaries. Other ones were spread out over the next two walls. A mixture of colors that brought out their details served as the background - courtesy of Rayquaza. The two dragons talked to one another as they worked and had suggested to one another better ways to improve a piece of the canvas.

Now they were on the final wall, finishing up on the last legendary.

"You think Arceus will like this?" Latias asked as she stroked out the shine on the god pokemon's arch. Afterward she defined the hues of his gold eyes and serious facial expression.

Rayquaza hummed from the side of her. His frown lingered despite that he was relaxed on the inside. They were almost done. He dipped his paintbrush into the colors chosen for the background and meshed them in toward the top. He worked his way down as Latias completed Arceus' figure.

"I don't see why not," he then said. He grunted when he accidentally smudged a bit of black into where it wasn't needed.

He turned his head to gaze upon their work and got the semblance that every fellow legendary, including himself and Latias, surrounded and gazed at them with valor and strength, since Latias had posed them to reflect such a mood. It was a mural that was supposed to represent the power, pride, and elegance of the legendary council - something Arceus would definitely favor.

"Yeah, you're right!" Latias chuckled and pivoted to look at her counterpart, grin big, pikachu-themed facial paint still present.

Rayquaza frowned. "Are you ever going to take that stuff off?"

Latias brought up her claw to feel the dried paint tangled in with her feathers. Her grin only widened.

"But it's fun, Ray! Why don't you try it?"

Rayquaza's face fell.

Latias made her way toward his face. Her paintbrush dripped with a scarlet coat. She jabbed it forward, as if in attempt to draw on his face.

He pulled back right as it would've hit him.

"Latias! Stop it!" he hissed.

His counterpart only laughed. She lunged forward. He dodged her again, and he felt his soul dim when his back made contact with a wall.

He had nowhere else to go. Latias approached him in a sinister manner.

"Latias," he said. He hid his gulp behind a weak scowl.

Latias only chuckled, paintbrush in hand, and her counterpart growled as she swiped it across his face. Another one with white paint soon joined in.

"Stand still!" she said with another laugh. "I'm trying to make you a zangoose!"

When she pulled away to examine her work, she laughed even louder when she realized that his struggles had messed it up. A long line of red paint covered his lips and gave him the impression of smiling. His entire face had been painted white and dark circles caged in his eyes. He blinked and tried to figure out what had just happened - and why Latias giggled at him with her claws over her mouth.

"You look like…you look like…_the Joker_!" she choked out.

Rayquaza frowned. "The Joker?"

"You know," said Latias, "from Zubatman?"

He arched a brow and reached for a paint can lid. He viewed his face in its reflective surface and felt his jaw drop. He really did look like the Joker!

He turned his eyes to Latias, who still laughed, and they slowly narrowed into a deathly glare. He didn't lunge for her or scold her, but instead reached for his paintbrush, dipped it into dark green paint, and painted streaks of it down his head to give him the impression of having forest-green hair.

Then, he looked at Latias and smirked.

"You want the Joker?" he asked. She froze as he met her eyes. "_You got the Joker_."

He brought his tone into a low, dark murmur:

"Why…so…_serious_?"

Latias squealed. She whipped around and shot down the room, Rayquaza right behind her. His smirk grew as he lunged for her. She let out a hearty laugh as she twirled around and evaded him again. Soon, just like he had been, she found herself backed up against a wall, various paint cans right below her. Rayquaza floated closer. She looked for a way out - and smiled when she did so.

She lunged forward and grabbed a can of paint and dipped it outward.

The red color inside spilled out-

-and all over Rayquaza's chest.

The dragon grunted, pushed back from the hit. He opened his eyes to notice that his entire body now dripped red paint. Not only that, but puddles also covered the floor, and splotches drenched the walls and some of the parts of their mural. He looked around, at himself, and then at Latias, who grimaced with regret.

She met his eyes and shrunk into her corner.

Rayquaza said nothing. He reached for his own can of paint, fangs bared.

And he spilled the green contents inside all over Latias.

She laughed with relief and excitement.

Rayquaza smirked, though backed away when his counterpart suddenly shot from the mesh of green paint and reached for another can. She tossed its paint toward him. The yellow liquid drenched him. He clenched his claws as he reached for another paint can and coated Latias in blue. She squealed with another laugh as she mimicked his movements and dubbed his body in black. She then twirled around to dodge an incoming wave of silver.

Before they both realized it, the whole floor and walls were blanketed with layers of various colors. It blocked out the mural they had spent two hours working on. But, they didn't care, too preoccupied with their paint war to worry about anything beyond it.

Latias snickered as she sped away from Rayquaza, a tub of chartreuse paint in his claws. When a wall came up, she had no choice but to careen backward. Unable to dodge her counterpart in time, they both collided with each other and hit the ground.

Rayquaza landed on top of Latias, whose back hugged the floor. He planted his claws to the sides of her body and hoisted himself up. He still loomed over her, his head in align with hers. They both groaned, cleared their vision, and blinked as their gazes met.

A smirk crossed Rayquaza's face. "Hah! I _w__in_."

Latias only stared up at him. Her breath lodged in her throat, eyes wide and bright.

Rayquaza stared as well. He noticed that he was close enough to define the deep hues of her eyes, and the outlines of her feathers. His smirk slowly died away.

They both just sat there and stared into each other's eyes.

Then, she blushed.

And he blushed.

They both pulled away almost immediately, their faces red as they sat back to back, somewhat paranoid to look each other in the eyes again. They ignored the painted room around them as their minds soared into certain thoughts-

"I see that you two have been quite busy…"

The two dragons turned their eyes to the doorway into the meeting room, where Arceus stood tall and eyed the condition of the walls with a quirked brow.

Rayquaza's eyes widened, as if awakened from a trance. His jaw dropped in horror as he examined the state of the room; thrown paint covered the walls and hid away the mural he swore would be he and Latias' key out of more pointless practices. His breath quickened and his stomach churned with regret.

_What had he done_?

Latias looked around and gulped.

Arceus pinched his brows at the sight of Rayquaza and Latias as he approached.

"I must apologize, Arceus," Rayquaza said, his words hurried, "Latias and I tried to follow your orders, but then we got-"

"You did it."

"-distracted and then we-" The dragon faltered. "Wait, what?"

Arceus chuckled as Rayquaza met his eyes. A soft smile crossed his face. "You did it," he said. He turned to examine the mess the room was in, where his smile only grew. "The purpose of the task was to bond with your counterpart. You did that just fine" – he eyed Rayquaza - "and in a colorful way, I see."

Rayquaza blinked with realization. "How long have you been watching us?"

"Since you finished the mural," Arceus said, "which I must say was quite well done, despite what…you know…happened to it." He shot a look toward the paint that covered the walls.

"But what about painting the walls?"

The god pokemon flicked an eyebrow knowingly. "Why, that whole wall painting thing was a façade. I just wanted you two to learn to work together, which you showed in the midst of painting the mural, and for you two to know how to get along, which you showed just now in that little playtime you had."

Rayquaza and Latias exchanged glances.

Arceus continued. "I am convinced that you two will work just fine together, even if you still are a little rough around the edges. Though I'm not going to send you on a serious-serious mission quite yet, I still expect you to be prepared for the task I have for you two tomorrow after the morning meeting." He frowned. "Now, for the problem in front of us…

"Despite that you accomplished your task, you still made a mess in the midst of it. So…" He swayed his head toward the door, where various cleaning utensils sat. "I don't want to have to do this, but you still need to pay for your actions. You can return to Alto Mare once you're done cleaning the room."

Rayquaza and Latias only watched the god pokemon as he made his way toward the exit out of the room. He bid them fair well for the rest of the day and left them alone once again.

After Arceus' departure and further absence (Rayquaza peered around the corner to make sure he wasn't spying again), he and Latias surrounded the cleaning tools, which included buckets of water with sponges and mops. They turned to examine the dirty room. Their gazes met.

And Latias began to laugh.

Rayquaza arched a brow.

But, in the end, it wasn't long before he laughed as well.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Next chap coming soon!


	6. Bedtime Conversations

Hey peoples!

Next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Bedtime Conversations**

* * *

"Do you know where we're going?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"As in 'positively sure'?"

"Yes."

"As in 'sure-sure-sure-sure-sure-sure'?"

"Yes."

"As in 'oh-my-Arceus-I'm-so-sure-I-make-Surely-Sure-Sure-look-unsure'?"

"_Yes_."

"As in-"

Genghis glared at his brother. "_Yes_!"

Khan, who had trailed behind him, squeaked and jumped back. Genghis' voice echoed across the hollow, deserted alleyways of Alto Mare.

But, Genghis didn't strangle his brother. He snorted like an aggravated tauros and rolled his eyes. He then turned to examine the empty cobblestone streets around them.

Khan forced himself to relax. He kept his emerald eyes away from his brother and focused them ahead.

Silence.

Then:

"So…you sure we're not lost?"

"Khan, shut up."

Genghis growled. They were not lost! The great Genghis Temujin was never lost! They had just swayed off the normal path, that was all. No big deal, and certainly nothing he couldn't fix. He pushed away his confusion and sailed his narrowed eyes over their surroundings. The whole town resembled a labyrinth. Its pathways circled in various directions and its buildings blocked out the sun. Everything looked the same in this town. Genghis wondered why it had appeared so easy to traverse the place. Now he knew that Alto Mare was nothing but a jungle. He let out a heavy sigh through his nostrils and massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

Khan gazed at him from the back with bewildered eyes. Despite his assurances, he had doubts about his brother's navigation skills.

"Maybe we can walk back the way we came," he said as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "And then we can see if there were any important turns we missed-"

"_We went the right way_!" Genghis hissed.

Khan took a step back and said nothing else. He valued his life, after all.

Genghis swallowed hard, his cobalt eyes bright. He spotted a turn up ahead, nearly camouflaged by the close houses. The edges of his frown curved upward. "There, see?" he said. He pointed it out to his brother, who only arched his eyebrows. Genghis then rushed into the alleyway, leaving Khan to squeak and scurry after him.

"I can smell the Soul Dew's power, Khan! It's right around here. I just know it!"

"Brother, wait!" Khan made hand gestures as he chased after Genghis.

Genghis didn't listen. He ran deeper and deeper into the misty alleyways. When he emerged into an opening, he managed to stop right before he collided with a dead end.

Khan heaved for air as he caught up to his brother. He made his way to his side, though Genghis showed no interest toward his state as he sailed his dimmed eyes over the uneventful wall. Khan regained himself and stood up straight. He eyed the wall and tilted his head.

"Um…I don't get it…" he said.

Genghis snarled. "It has to be here!" He glared at his brother. "This was the spot where Rayquaza and Latias emerged from, right?"

Khan's face fell. He bit his lip and turned his eyes away. "…I think."

"What do you mean '_you think_'?"

Khan squeaked and stepped back, to where he nearly toppled over onto his rear. "I-I don't know!" He shook his head and corrected himself. "I-I mean, it's hard to tell! We were watching from outside the city! The Soul Dew has to be here! I'm positive!"

"_Then find it_," Genghis hissed.

Khan nodded as fast as his muscles would allow. He searched the area. It was shaped like a square; houses surrounded them on each side.

Genghis crossed his arms. "Well?"

Khan gulped. Their sense of direction within Alto Mare was much more restricted inside than outside. His heat hammered against his chest. He could feel Genghis' eyes bear into him. He felt like a dumbfounded student pacing the dark halls of an abandoned school, with Genghis as the monster that chased him in the shadows and waited for him to make one wrong move. Khan grimaced at the mental image of his mutilated corpse on the floor and his entrails in Genghis' claws...

"Erm, this way!"

Khan ran down a nearby alleyway. He prayed to Arceus that, out of a mere stroke of luck, it would bring them closer to the Soul Dew, because he didn't know. He just didn't know, and he was scared of what Genghis would do to him because of it.

Genghis followed with a grunt of suspicion.

Soon enough, another wall came into view and blocked off their path. It was short; they could climb it if they wanted to. Khan turned to Genghis and firmed himself. "There's probably something around this wall," he said.

Genghis frowned. "And what gives you _that_ conclusion, my dear brother?"

Khan faltered. He hadn't thought of an explanation to that. He had been too busy deciding which of his possessions went to his cousins when Genghis killed him.

Which would probably be right now.

He grinned sheepishly.

"It looks…suspicious?"

To his surprise, Genghis let out a sigh. He stepped forward toward the wall, then turned to his brother. "Fine," he said, and Khan's eyes grew bright. "We'll check behind this wall. But, for your sake, _something better be behind it_."

Khan nodded and followed his brother. They climbed its surface. When they made it to the top, they jumped down onto the ground and examined what was ahead.

The area looked no different than from the alleyways between the city's buildings. Other pathways that led into it were blocked off with gates. The secluded spot looked like the backyard to a house.

Genghis sailed his eyes over the eventless grounds.

Khan felt his skin pale.

No Soul Dew.

Genghis slowly turned his head to glare at him-

A snarl emitted from the shadows that covered the corners of the backyard. Genghis' face fell as he and Khan turned their attentions toward the noise. Slowly, multiple growls joined the snarl. A pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness. As seconds passed, more sets of deadly, cardinal glares formed all around it. The owners walked out into daylight.

It was a pack of houndoom. The security for the houses all around them.

Oh crap.

"_Khan_!" Genghis hissed. He glared at his brother. "_I'm going to kill you_-"

The houndoom lunged.

"-right after we _run_!"

The two Rocket grunts toppled over when a houndoom shot itself forward and nearly hit them. The other houndoom continued to snarl; bloodlust radiated from their eyes. Genghis and Khan backed themselves up against a wall. They squawked when the pokemon jumped forward. They rolled out of the way and turned their attention to the only escape route available – the unstable gates that blocked off the backyard from the main alleyways. The duo shot in that direction. Khan knocked down a gate as he struggled to keep up with Genghis.

Liberated, the houndoom followed.

Genghis and Khan ran down the deserted alleyways of Alto Mare, with a ravenous pack of houndoom right behind them.

* * *

Latias laughed as she trailed her claw across the silky surface of the water that surrounded Alto Mare. Rayquaza flew right above her. The two dragons had finished cleaning the Hall of Legends' meeting room not too long ago. With the task completed, they had been released.

The sun cast a warm glow across the town as it sunk below the visible horizon. It turned the sky pink to black, with matching clouds smeared over its canvaslike flesh.

Latias turned her head to her counterpart as they both soared toward the town. Her large grin clashed with the smug frown that occupied his face.

"An interesting day, right, Ray?"

Rayquaza lowered his eyes to her and snorted.

Despite that his entire time of painting with Latias (or, as according to Arceus, 'bonding') had been 'entertaining' and a lot more worthy of his recognition than the uneventful missions he was used to, he knew that his staid figure had begun to crack during the ordeal. He had acted soft after their painting had gotten the meeting room drenched in various colors and they were later commanded by Arceus to clean it. He had smiled and laughed and even felt that his connection with Latias had been the greatest thing to happen to him since his very creation.

Rayquaza had started to think this over after they departed the Hall of Legends. He mentally scolded himself. Due to his arrogant and loner traits, many members of the council saw him as a selfish being who deserved to be alone. Even with the fact that he was very dedicated to his daily responsibilities and always followed Arceus' orders despite his reluctance, his ways of doing things had driven him off of the good-books of many of his legendary brethren. Sure, they still talked to him and worked with him when a mission required it, but apart from that, when it came to their own will of interacting with him, most of them chose not to do so.

He didn't mind this, though. He never did. He was a loner because he had decided to be a loner; his own choices had given him such a lifestyle, and it was a lifestyle he was content with.

Though, he had been curious to see what it felt like to have an opposite, which was why he had made such a deal with Latias…

"Yeah," he said and turned his eyes back to Alto Mare.

In the midst of returning home, the two dragons had stopped in the water to wash off the paint they had thrown at each other. The mere memory of it being on his skin convinced him to slap himself. What had he been thinking during their 'bonding' time? His whole life had revolved around the concept of being on one's own, so it made sense that he was now ready to bash his head against the wall for contradicting his self-claims.

As he assured himself that he wouldn't let his veil of imperturbableness shatter away again, Latias turned her head to him, eyes bright with curiosity.

"You okay, Ray?" she asked.

"Fine," he said.

Latias blinked, but then shrugged it off. She moved on ahead toward Alto Mare.

Rayquaza watched her go. He shook his head and quickened his pace to catch up with her.

What did Latias do to him?

He didn't really have time to think about it as he and his counterpart descended down into the streets of Alto Mare. They were still crowded with humans and mortal pokemon. He flashed them a faded smirk as he and his counterpart flew over the structures that consisted the town, heading straight toward the wall that served as the camouflaged entrance into the Secret Garden.

Right as they were about to enter it, though, Latias stopped in place.

"What is it?" Rayquaza asked. He pulled away from the waterlike wall.

Latias looked back at the main alleyway that led into the clearing. She tilted her head and sniffed the air slightly.

Rayquaza slowly approached her. "Latias?"

She turned her head and blinked, as if to escape a trance. "Huh, what?"

"What were you doing?"

Latias flickered her eyes to the ground. "I just swore I felt like…" She paused. "…I just felt like something with a bad aura has been through here recently."

Rayquaza stared at her as if she was demented. A frown crossed his face. "What are you? A lucario?"

His counterpart laughed. "Just forget it," she said. "It's nothing."

She flew forward and into the wall.

Rayquaza lingered behind, eyebrow arched. He shot a look at the alleyway where Latias had stared. He swore that he could feel a slight jolt of uneasiness as well – as if something of cruel intentions really had passed through the area. He pushed the thought away, though, and snorted to himself as he followed after Latias. He slid through the gateway and entered the shadowy, cool sanctuary that was the Secret Garden.

There, he saw Latias hover in front of the fountain that housed the Soul Dew, eyes deep with emotion.

He let out a sigh; he wanted to scold her for thinking about Latios again, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He ran his claw down his triangular face and muttered curses under his breath. He always used to critique other legendaries on their childish behaviors before, so why couldn't he do it with Latias? Slowly, his thoughts from before returned – the question to how she had somehow brought him to act like a fool back during their bonding time. His life had been built from dedication and the lifestyle of a loner; missions to him were nothing but boring days on the job in which the praise usually associated with the acts always failed to please him, because anyone could do what he was usually sent to do. But his temporary counterpart had broken both of those rules. She had made him do childish things. The mission of painting by her side and all of the other events that followed had made him feel as if he was the only being in the world who could've done it.

He didn't know what had happened to make him think this way – what had led him to believe in those few hours that there was more to life than just doing work and living on one's own. He swore to himself that he wouldn't let it happen again. He wouldn't allow one week with Latias to change who he was, to make him soft and tender. That was the way Latias had chosen to live and he'd be damned to Hell before he changed so many centuries of imperturbableness due to a mere experiment.

He escaped from his thoughts when Latias approached. She looked up at the night sky, visible through the holes in the treetops. His face fell as he accompanied her in her stargazing. The moon was out; a silver medallion that shined and added a sense of mysteriousness to everything its light touched, like a physical requiem. Latias sighed in relaxation. Rayquaza brought his gaze to her. The moon's glow displayed the life that swirled around in her eyes. He scolded himself for thinking such things and pivoted his head the other way.

"We have to go to a morning meeting tomorrow," he said. "It's been a long day. We should probably go to bed now so we can get up early."

Latias hummed in agreement and let out a large yawn. She floated down the pathways that had been paved into the ground and passed the ponds and other small places, where mortal pokemon lived. They all slept underneath the night sky, cuddled close to one another to share body heat.

Rayquaza headed out onto the grass. He picked a place between two trees to sleep, where a silvery ray of moonlight peered in through a hole on the overhead treetop. He settled himself in against the soft grass and coiled up in the center of the illumination, his eyes closed in satisfaction.

Latias had intended to sleep by the fountain. She had always slept by the Soul Dew because it reminded her of what it felt like to be sleeping by Latios, but now that she had Rayquaza as a counterpart…

She slowly floated toward the said dragon. She examined his smooth face, his expression calm. Handsome, even. She curled up against his side and felt the warmth that radiated from his smooth scales. She smiled as nostalgia poured over her.

Rayquaza's eyes flashed open. He raised his head and looked at Latias. He rolled his eyes and pushed her away from him. Though, he didn't put too much distance between them; she was still in the moonlight when he curled back up and closed his eyes.

"Hey, Ray?"

He froze when he heard her voice. Her tone didn't sound angered or saddened. He turned his head to her and met her wide eyes. He grunted to show that he listened.

"Before we started this temporary counterpart thing," Latias said as she played with a small weed in front of her, "did you sleep by Kyogre and Groudon?"

"No, I slept by myself in my own cave."

Latias frowned. "But didn't it get lonely?"

He snorted at the thought and turned over onto his back. He gazed at the moon. "No," he said, as Latias mirrored his position and laid on her back right beside him, like two friends wishing on shooting stars. "I was never close to Kyogre and Groudon, so even with the fact that I was a supposed 'counterpart' with them, we never talked much."

"And you weren't lonely at all?"

"I was used to being alone."

"Do you like being alone?"

He glanced at her. "Yes."

"Do you prefer it?"

Rayquaza sighed. He did prefer to be alone, and all this experiment was to him was a chance to see what it felt like to have a counterpart, just so he would know. But, as he thought about it, to her it was so much more; to her, it was a chance of renewal after Latios' death. He didn't know what to say.

Latias rolled on her side and propped herself up with one elbow. Her cheek leaned against her claw, her eyes on him.

"Listen…" she said. "I just want you to know that you don't have to do this if you don't want to. The temporary counterpart thing, I mean. I know you rather be alone, so if you think you have to do this…don't…okay? I don't want you to force yourself to do this for me."

Rayquaza paused. She had sounded so compassionate, as if she really respected his decision and ways of life - something the other legendaries never did. He shifted in place, suddenly nervous. "We…we better get to sleep…" he said, and he turned away from Latias. "We have another mission to do in the morning after the meeting."

It was silent after that. He bit his lip. He soon heard the sounds of moving grass as Latias laid herself down and snuggled into the softness of the ground. "Okay…" she said, her tone soft. "But…I also want you to know that I had a lot of fun today…I haven't had that much fun since Latios was still here…" She smiled. "Thank you, Rayquaza."

And she closed her eyes.

Rayquaza stayed awake, focused on the ground as he thought over everything. He brought his gaze to Latias' sleeping figure when he turned onto his back again. He felt heartless at the fact that he had anticipated the week to be over – a week that, to him, was nothing but an experiment; when, to her, it was everything that made life shine like it used to. Slowly, he raised his claw, as if to place it on her shoulder and assure her that he willed to stay the whole week. But, he didn't want to wake her up, so he held it in, turned on his side, and closed his eyes.

Minutes later, Latias shifted. She turned to eye Rayquaza's snoozing figure. Then, silently, she laid back down, but kept her ears open for a familiar sound she hadn't heard since Latios died:

Snoring.

She sighed in content and fell asleep. Just like old times.

_Thank you, Rayquaza – for everything._

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Next chap coming soon!


	7. Of Commissions and Contemplations

Hey peoples!

Sorry for taking so long to get this out.

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Of Commissions and Contemplations**

* * *

"Ray? Ray, wake up!"

Rayquaza groaned. He settled himself deeper into the grass and relished in the darkness that engulfed him. He snored loudly, and the voice from before huffed.

"Ray!" it said. "Wake up!"

He gritted his teeth. _I'm trying to sleep, here!_

"Ray!"

The voice wouldn't leave him alone! He made a shooing gesture with his claw toward the voice and went back to sleep.

Silence.

Rayquaza smirked. _Finally-_

His eyelids shot open as a force pounced on his head. He jolted forward and into a float, his sight blocked by the feathery barricade that clung to his snout. He growled and inverted his eyes, where he met a familiar honey gaze.

"Latias," he said, "get off my face."

Latias grinned sheepishly and released. "Sorry, Ray! I was just trying to wake you up!"

Rayquaza sailed his eyes over the Secret Garden, and then over the area between the two trees where they had slept. "How long have you been up?" he asked.

"About an hour," said Latias. "Latios and I used to always get up extra early to ensure that Alto Mare was nice and safe in the morning. I guess it's a habit that stuck with me even after…well…you know."

Rayquaza grunted, drowsy.

"Besides," she added, "we have the morning meetings, remember?"

Rayquaza widened his eyes. "The meeting! Crap! What time is it?"

"Um, nine. Why?"

"We're late for the meeting!" He glared at her. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"You looked kinda exhausted last night," Latias said, her eyes bright. "Yesterday was pretty hectic so I thought I would let you sleep in…"

"Weren't you aware that there was a meeting today – _like there is everyday_?"

Latias put her claws to her hips and scowled. "Well, _excuse_ me, princess! But you needed your rest! Studies show that an individual must get at least eight hours of sleep each night in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

"Studies?" Rayquaza growled. "What studies?"

"Studies done by human scientists. It's all in those science magazines. Bianca gives them to me when she's done reading them."

Rayquaza ran a claw down his face. "Don't you know that stuff is just a bunch of tauros crap?"

"That's what _you_ say." Latias crossed her arms. "I was simply caring for your health – because that's what counterparts do for each other."

At that, Rayquaza's eyes flickered toward the grassy ground as he thought over her words. Things counterparts did for each other. He shook his head and looked at Latias. "Well…what about the meeting?" he asked, his voice calm. "Don't you think that's important enough to wake me despite your…health theories?"

Latias let out a squeal. "Aw, Ray! Of course you're more important! We can't attend meetings if you're too tired to go in the first place! I mean, I'm sure Arceus will understand if we're late."

"And how so?"

"He saw us working hard to paint the meeting room yesterday. I think it was obvious how tired we were after it..."

A sigh escaped Rayquaza. That logic seemed logical. "Fine. But just to be safe I rather we leave now before we miss the _whole_ meeting. I don't think Arceus will be so understanding if we're absent altogether."

Latias blinked, as her counterpart began to make his way toward the door. "But don't you want to have breakfast first?"

"We don't have time, Latias."

"But studies show-"

"No more studies, Latias."

Latias huffed and stuck her nose into the air. She floated forward and past her counterpart, who stopped in place with a frown.

"Hey…wait…"

She snorted and looked at Rayquaza.

He sighed through his nostrils. "Listen." He reverted his eyes away from hers. "…Thanks."

Latias' gaze brightened.

"For trying to look out for me with the whole health thing, I mean. I…really appreciate it, anyway."

She grinned, her tone soft: "Sure thing, Ray. Like I said, that's what counterparts do for each other."

Rayquaza swallowed hard and met her eyes.

"Um," she said, the silence awkward. "I…I think we should head out towards the Hall. You know, in case I'm wrong about Arceus I don't want him to have our heads." She turned toward the door. "Come on, Ray."

He frowned, trying to stop his fluttering heart. "Yeah..."

* * *

The Hall of Legends stuck out from the cloudy background like a beacon over a golden sea. The sky darkened as it opened up into space, stars bright despite the presence of the morning sun. Mountains rose from the ground, their tips visible, like giant colossi that served as the guardians of the temple.

Rayquaza kept a smug expression as he and Latias flew into the Hall. As they approached the door into the meeting room, his counterpart came forward.

"You ready?" she asked.

Rayquaza rolled his eyes. "As ready as I can be."

The two dragons slid their claws down the golden doors, which slowly swayed ajar and revealed the legendaries as they moved within the meeting room. Arceus, who stood on top of his pedestal, turned his eyes to Rayquaza and Latias as they entered. Rayquaza grunted when the legendaries looked at him, while Latias gulped and twiddled her claws.

"I see you two have finally decided to join us," Arceus said, his brow arched.

Latias floated forward and firmed herself. "Sorry that we're late, Arceus. We just worked so hard to paint the meeting room and then clean it all up yesterday that we overslept." She faltered. "I mean, well, I…I got up early. I let Rayquaza sleep in since he seemed exhausted. But we're here now, so the meeting can continue."

Arceus' brow didn't move. "You two just missed it."

Her face fell.

"_La-ti-as_!" Rayquaza growled from behind.

"It's no problem, however."

Rayquaza blinked and looked at Arceus, who let out a chuckle. Latias only stared; she didn't know if she should frown or smile.

"You two did indeed work very hard yesterday," Arceus said, "so with the fact that you didn't appear when the meeting started, I figured you were both going to be lagging behind. It's alright, as I was expecting this. Consider yourselves dismissed from today's meeting. You needed the extra sleep, anyway, for the task I have for you two today."

Latias turned her head to her counterpart and smiled. "Hah! See? What'd I tell ya? Of course Arceus would be understanding!"

Rayquaza snorted. He still felt tired and was in no mood to go on a mission. _Just another day on the job, _he thought. He looked at Arceus and asked, "What do you need?"

Arceus raised his head, as if to direct his words to all of the legendaries: "I'll tell you all your assigned missions for the day in a little bit. Until then, why don't you all take some time to converse with each other? I'm sure you have topics to talk about."

The legendaries spread out across the room to join others and form conversations. Their words meshed together and filled the air, a mixture of stories and jokes that grew louder with each second.

Rayquaza looked at Latias, who sailed her eyes over the crowd. She met his gaze and paused. He rolled his eyes and waved his claw. He wondered why she thought she needed his permission to go, but she grinned nonetheless and flew off toward a group that included Suicune and Cresselia.

"Hey, Rayquaza."

He blinked and turned toward the telepathic voice. He met the teal-colored gaze of Deoxys as she approached from the back. He fought a smile. Deoxys was one of the few legendaries he tolerated.

"Deoxys," he said with a bow of his head. He crossed his arms over his chest, his brow raised. "What's up?"

She shrugged. "Just thought I'd talk. We haven't talked in a while."

"Well, I haven't seen you that much, recently."

"Busy," Deoxys said, "and with this whole counterpart thing you made with Latias, I thought I'd stay out of your way. Now that you two are apart, though…" She paused. "If you really must know why I came to you, it's because I'm curious."

Rayquaza frowned. "Curious about what?"

"About the counterpart thing. I think it's obvious that all of us, including Arceus, find it weird that you would volunteer for it. I mean, I know you better than most pokemon, Rayquaza, and something like this seems…I don't know. Out of your league?"

"I have my reasons."

Deoxys tapped her chin with her humanlike fingers. "And I have my reasons for being concerned. I'll respect your privacy, but, I gotta admit, I'm surprised this counterpart bond has even survived a day."

"Why? You don't think I'm up for such a thing?"

"To tell you the truth...no. Like I said, I know you, Rayquaza. When we do chat, you reveal some of your inner thoughts really easily. I know you like living on your own and only caring for yourself, and the counterpart connection you have with Groudon and Kyogre is basically...well, not there. What does that say about this one? Face it, Rayquaza, you built yourself to be a loner. Do you really think this will work?"

Rayquaza snorted. "The main reason why I made this deal with Latias is because I want her to move on from Latios. She's an important member to the council and her sadness over her brother's death is only going to make her dead weight."

Deoxys met his eyes. "Are you sure that's the only reason?"

"I didn't say that was the only reason. I said it was the _main_ reason."

"Whatever," Deoxys said. "That still doesn't make it any less conspicuous. Latias spent most of her life with her brother. He was everything to her, and I'm sure you're aware of that. But you don't know what it feels like to have a counterpart or to lose a being so close, so I can't help but be concerned towards how the next few days are going to go. You're not used to caring about someone else, Rayquaza. You only know how to take care of yourself. You've always been like that."

Rayquaza turned his eyes away. He respected Deoxys for being truthful, but he had become so used to such comments that they didn't affect him anymore.

Her eyes darkened. "After our battle over La'Rousse City a few years back and my brother left to voyage into outer space, I knew I would miss him since I had decided to stay here and join the legendary council. I have a clue on what Latias must be going through with Latios gone. Right now, she needs someone more than ever. So, I'm also glad you're doing this."

Rayquaza blinked and looked at her.

"I can't remember the last time I saw Latias smile," Deoxys said. "This whole thing may be weird, but you must be doing something right. Maybe after this week is over Latias will really go back to enjoying the thrills of life and won't think so much about Latios. If you can really pull this off without making it all worse, then every member on the council will probably be impressed. I mean, everybody wants to see Latias happy again, so this temporary counterpart thing might be good for her." Her tone lowered. "_As well as for you_."

Rayquaza growled. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Deoxys said. If she had a mouth, a smirk would cross it. "Anyway, just take care of Latias for the week, Rayquaza. As Arceus said, treat her like a counterpart and all that jazz. Push aside your usual ways for just this once."

"Haven't I already?"

Deoxys shook her head. "How long you can hold it is what I'm worried about."

"Rayquaza? Latias?"

Rayquaza perked up his head. He watched Arceus walk up and stand on top of his pedestal. He figured that it was time for him and Latias to receive their mission. As he spotted Latias emerge from the crowd and float toward Arceus, he looked at Deoxys.

"Good luck," she said, while Rayquaza only grunted as he turned. "Hopefully this mission will be more easier than…" She snickered. "_Painting_."

Rayquaza stopped and glared at Deoxys. Blood rushed to his face as she laughed. "Shaddup!"

* * *

"As you all know," Arceus said to Rayquaza and Latias as they floated before him, the other legendaries silent, "tribes of pokemon exist throughout the forests and other areas of the mortal world. Some consist only of a certain type, while others may have a variety. Recently, I have been listening to the prayers from members of a tribe who reside in the forest around eastern Hoenn. Apparently, a few of their flying type members were exploring a new cave, when it collapsed on them and closed off the exit. They're trapped inside with little food and water and have no means of getting out, because the walls are too thick and the ground is too hard to dig through."

"Can't they just break through the rocks using their attacks?" Rayquaza asked.

"Not without the risk of causing a bigger collapse."

"Well, what about the pokemon that are outside? Can't they break through the rocks?"

"Rayquaza," Arceus said, "this tribe is young and consists of members whose attacks couldn't possibly do enough damage to break through the thick rocks. Besides, the rocks are enclosed in all around the trapped pokemon. Any attacks that can get through might cause collapse or harm them in the process."

Rayquaza growled. "Then how the hell are we supposed to help?"

"They've been praying for help for a while now. As protectors of mortals, we must help. Half of our power comes from the mortals who believe in us. What will they think if none of us appear? I also think this is a nice task for you two to try together. Those pokemon need our help, and you two are perfect for the job. Improvise to come up with a solution. I'm sure your minds can figure something when put together."

Rayquaza sighed, unconvinced.

Latias floated up to his face. "Come on, Ray! Those pokemon need our help!"

"Fine," he muttered.

"Good," Arceus said. "Now go. The faster you get those pokemon out, the better."

Latias saluted. She turned and flew for the door.

Rayquaza ran a claw down his face.

_You're not used to caring about someone else, Rayquaza. You only know how to take care of yourself. You've always been like that._

Deoxys' words coursed through his head. He paused, but then he pushed them away and followed after his counterpart.

* * *

"The coast is clear, brother," Khan said. He gazed through his binoculars and at the docks that traced the southern edge of Alto Mare.

"Are you sure?" Genghis asked as he emerged from the back room of their boat. He pushed an ice pack against the nasty burn on his arm.

"Genghis, it's been a day. I really think the houndoom are gone now."

"Yeah. Yeah. They probably are. But it's just to be safe. I mean, I don't want them to jump out of nowhere and eat you if we go on shore again…"

Khan rolled his eyes. "You sure _you're_ not just scared?"

"I am not scared!"

Khan looked at his brother. It was rare when he saw him in such a vulnerable state. His lips twitched upward when an idea came to mind – an idea too good to pass up.

"Oh my Arceus!" he yelled, pointing his finger ahead. "Houndoom!"

Genghis squeaked and ducked behind the nearby desk. He shook and whimpered to himself.

Khan broke out into laughter. "Dude, you are totally scared!"

"_I am not scared_!"

"Whatever you say, brother."

Genghis got up and snarled. He raised his fist, slammed it against Khan's head, and pulled back to retrieve his ice pack as Khan keeled over. "You're lucky I was generous enough to take that ember attack for you. Now I regret it, though. A burnt rattata on a stick would be more useful than you!"

Khan glared at his brother, but then cowered beneath his demonic stare. "W-well, what do we do now?"

"You saw Rayquaza and Latias leave Alto Mare this morning, right?"

"Yeah." Khan frowned and added darkly: "When I wasn't forced to keep houndoom watch for ten hours straight…"

"_What did you say_?"

He jumped. "N-nothing!"

Genghis snorted and looked back at Alto Mare. "Since our sneaking tactics failed, we're going to have to find this place straight on."

"Which means?"

"We're going to head in there undercover and get the answer from the townspeople themselves!"

Khan froze. "But isn't that risky?"

"Risky?" Genghis smirked and ran a hand through his chartreuse hair. "'Risky' is my middle name!"

"What? No it isn't-"

"Shut up, Khan!"

Khan gulped. His brother swept past him to take the wheel of the boat and steer them toward the town.

"Get our disguises, Khan," he said. "We have a Soul Dew to find! And, this time, we're finding it!"

Khan sighed. He heeded his brother's command and climbed down the ladder behind him into the lower rooms of the boat.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Bah. Kind of an uneventful chapter. Maybe I should update this twice instead of I Woke Up next weekend...

Hopefully, I won't get mauled for skipping other updates, though.

...I won't get mauled, right? o.O

I'll think about it.


	8. To Lack Coordination

Hey peoples!

Next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 8: To Lack Coordination**

* * *

"_Let's fly!"_

Latias and Rayquaza took off from the Hall of Legends. They passed the mountaintops that guarded the Hall's gate, dove into the sea of clouds around it, and emerged over the regions of the pokemon world. Course set on Hoenn, Latias moved forward in that very direction. Rayquaza stumbled to catch up with her.

"Latias!" he called out. "Will you slow down?"

She stopped in midair and eyed him. "But those pokemon are in danger, Ray!"

"I'm sure they can survive if we're a little late. I'm getting a cramp here, damn it!"

Latias frowned, but tilted her wings upward to lower her speed. Once Rayquaza reached her side, he stopped to stretch out the ache in his tail.

Silence.

Then:

"Better yet?"

Rayquaza paused and looked at Latias. "What?"

"Are you better yet?" she asked, her words nearly jumbled.

Rayquaza frowned. "Latias, we just stopped-"

"Okaygoodlet'sgo!"

She shot forward.

Rayquaza stumbled. Then, he glared. "Latias!"

He chased after her as they neared Hoenn. He continued to call out her name, and she eventually stopped to look at him.

"What's wrong, Ray?" she asked. She giggled as he panted. "Worn out already?"

"I'm not kidding! You need to slow down!"

"Slow down? I thought that the 'king of the skies' could outfly anyone."

"I _am_ the king of the skies," Rayquaza hissed. "And ten times faster than you!" He squirmed. "I'm just not in the mood today, that's all…"

Latias giggled again and shot Rayquaza a sly look – a look that made him scoff and turn his head the other way. She grinned at him and flew forward, leaving him to stumble over himself once more before he followed.

_That girl, _he thought. _She's gonna get herself killed one day if she's not careful. _

He smirked.

_I gotta give her credit, though. She's definitely got guts._

* * *

Rayquaza and Latias followed the east coast of Hoenn toward Lilycove. They stopped over the forest that surrounded the area. The trees stretched to the horizon, until the smoke-covered tip of Mount Chimney rose and towered over the land. The two dragons flew across the forest and searched for any signs of the pokemon Arceus sent them to save.

Rayquaza frowned. He swayed his head around, but saw nothing. He turned his eyes toward Latias as she dipped below the trees to search from the ground. She came up a minute afterward with an anxious frown. Rayquaza read her face and grit his teeth.

"Arceus said it was somewhere around here, right?" she asked.

"Yeah." Rayquaza ran a claw down his face. "But he didn't actually specify where."

Latias pinched her brows. "What if we're too late, Ray?"

"Will you stop that and chill? We'll find them, okay?"

But, even Rayquaza felt nervous for the trapped pokemon. He flew forward, Latias right behind him. Minutes later, they still hadn't found a thing. Rayquaza sighed and met Latias' eyes, which had become glossy with worry. He swallowed hard and wondered if he should say something, but he only turned his eyes the other way-

He paused. Something stuck out of the trees ahead. He headed toward it and examined what looked to be the tip of a rock anomaly, a small mountain that rose up from the forest floor. He shot a thoughtful look to Latias, and they both dove into the trees, following the muffled cries that came from the mountain's base. A group of young pokemon came into view, their faces painted in tribal colors. They only consisted of first-stage evolutions, which couldn't possibly harbor enough strength to break through the rocks that closed off the cavern they surrounded.

Latias flew toward the tribe. They gawked at her; some even backed away with intimidation. Rayquaza appeared beside her. He gazed at the pokemon, and then at the cave. He hid his relief that they had finally found the tribe in need.

"Don't worry," Latias said to the small pokemon as she landed on the leafy ground. They bowed before her when they realized her true intentions, while some praised her and others beckoned her toward the cave. She floated back up to her counterpart. "We gotta help, Ray!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said. He looked back at the cave and the rocks that blocked it. "Stand back."

Without question, the pokemon retreated into the bushes.

Rayquaza grunted. _Let's get this over with._

He leaned back and opened his jaw. In the back of his throat, the orange-yellow glow of a hyper beam grew. He reared his head forward and-

Latias shot upward and right into his range of fire. "_What are you doing, Ray_?"

Rayquaza's eyes widened. He slammed his jaw shut and cut off the attack before it could hit his counterpart. The beam backfired down his throat. He coughed; orange-colored sparks bounced off his tongue.

The tribe pokemon exchanged bewildered looks.

"Holy-!" Rayquaza coughed. He glared at Latias. "_What'd you do that for_?" Another cough. "That could've given me an ulcer or something!"

Latias scowled. "Ray! You know what Arceus said! We can't use special attacks to break the rock. It might harm the pokemon trapped inside!"

Rayquaza snarled. "Well, what do _you_ suggest" - he coughed again - "suggest we do then, huh?"

Latias turned to the cave. A boulder sat in front of the entrance, which was what mainly blocked it off. She looked back at the tribe. Her ears twitched as she heard the muffled cries of the trapped pokemon. "Why don't we just push the rock?"

"Are you _serious_?"

Latias shrugged. "It's all we can do."

Rayquaza growled.

"Come on, Ray!" Latias said, her eyes glossy again.

He glowered, and then sighed in defeat. "_Fine_."

Latias grinned. She flew forward and placed her claws on the boulder. "Don't worry, guys!" she said to the trapped pokemon. "We're gonna get you out in no time!"

Cheers erupted from inside.

Rayquaza mimicked his counterpart and grabbed hold of the boulder's other side. He peeked his head over the top to meet Latias' eyes. "Push only after I say go," he said. "Got it?"

"Got it!"

Rayquaza positioned himself. "Ready? Go!"

The two dragons pushed. When the boulder didn't move, Rayquaza paused.

"You're pushing, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's what you said to do."

Rayquaza frowned. "I'm pushing, too…so that means we're both pushing on opposite sides, canceling out each other's forces, and it's not allowing the rock to move in an assigned direction."

"…Gesundheit?"

He snarled. "_Pull_, got it?"

Latias blinked. "Okay."

Rayquaza repositioned himself. "Alright, ready? Go!"

He pushed against the rock. It still failed to budge. He peeked his head over the top and met Latias' eyes. "You're pulling, right?"

She arched a brow. "Me? I thought you were gonna be the one who pulled…"

"No." Rayquaza rolled his eyes. "I'm pushing, okay? You need to pull so the rock moves towards you!"

"Oh…"

Latias lowered. Then, she came back up. Her brows furrowed.

"Why do I have to be the one who pulls?"

Rayquaza groaned. "Why does it matter?"

"Well, I'm just curious."

"Fine. _It's because I said so._"

"That's not a very good answer."

"Why are you making such a big deal about this?"

"I just want to know why I have to pull." Latias pouted. "Why do you get to be the commander here?"

The tribe exchanged more bewildered looks. The trapped pokemon did the same.

Rayquaza narrowed his eyes. He exhaled sharply. "You know what? _Fine_. You push, okay? I'll pull."

Latias grinned. "Okay!"

Rayquaza got into position again. "Ready?" he called out. "Push!"

He pulled the boulder in his direction. It only moved an inch before he realized he didn't receive any support from the other side. He looked up and met Latias' gaze. "Why aren't you pushing?" he asked.

She shrugged. "You didn't say so."

"Yes I did!"

"No, you said not to push until after you said 'go'."

"I did say go!"

"No you didn't. You just said 'push'. To my understanding, that wasn't the word established to be the term that would signal when to perform our assigned actions." Latias crossed her arms and stuck her snout into the air. "I refuse to cooperate under these confusing conditions."

Rayquaza growled. His claws impaled the boulder. Before he could stop himself, he slammed his head against the rock, like a frustrated businessman at work.

Silence.

Then, the rock began to crack.

He pulled away and watched as lines stretched across the boulder. Latias arched a brow and floated back. She blinked when the rock crumbled into dust beneath his claws.

"Huh…" She looked at her counterpart. "Good job, Ray!"

Rayquaza dropped his head and groaned. He didn't know whether to be grateful or flabbergasted.

A group of young flying types – pidgey, spearow, and other first-stage bird pokemon - emerged from the cavern. Grins formed on their faces. They were finally free! The tribe rushed forward to crowd around their saved comrades, who all appeared to be fine.

"Look, Ray." Latias floated up to her counterpart, her eyes warm. "They're all safe now. We did it!"

Rayquaza tightened his frown. "Yeah," he said, "and it was _so_ hard I honestly thought that not even gods like us could've done it…"

Latias blinked at his sarcasm. Her brows came together. "Is there something wrong, Ray?"

"_Nothing_, alright? Forget it. The mission's done, so let's just get out of here…"

He pivoted around, but Latias ceased him with her claw. Her soft touch lingered on his arm. He met her eyes again.

"If something's bothering you," she said, "you can tell me, okay, Ray? We're counterparts. We're supposed to communicate."

Rayquaza shrugged out of her hold. "There's nothing wrong with me. Like I said before, I'm just not in a good mood today."

Latias shifted weight between her shoulders. She opened her mouth to say something-

A squirtle from the pokemon tribe stepped forward, a large grin on his painted face. "Our tribe wishes to thank you for saving our members in need!" he said.

Latias swallowed the words she wanted to say to Rayquaza. She looked at the squirtle and forced a grin. "We were happy to help!"

"We are eternally grateful, though!" the squirtle said. "And we would be honored if you joined us for a feast!"

Rayquaza's face fell, Latias beamed, and before he could deny the offer, she said, "We would love to accompany you for brunch!"

He glared at her.

The squirtle nodded and turned around. He gestured at the other tribe members. They grinned and scurried off into the bushes.

"Follow me," the squirtle said. "My name's Ulinawi, by the way."

Latias nodded, but before she could follow Ulinawi, Rayquaza pulled her back.

"Latias!" he hissed. "What are you doing? We have to report back to Arceus!"

She laughed. "Come on, Ray! It's not like we're gonna be here all day! We have tons of time to eat and then return to the Hall! It'd be rude not to except their kind offer. Besides," she added, "we didn't eat breakfast this morning, and for reasons _you_ would probably remember."

Rayquaza blushed and turned away. Simultaneously, his stomach rumbled. He placed a claw over it.

"I think I have my answer." Latias giggled and floated into the bushes after Ulinawi.

Rayquaza rolled his eyes and followed her.

He hated it when she was right.

* * *

"You sure this is a good idea, Genghis?"

"Obviously."

"What are we supposed to be dressed up as anyway?"

"Tourists, you moron."

Khan frowned. He fingered the cheap beads that consisted his sharpedo-tooth necklace. It matched with his blue shirt, shorts, and sandals. "I feel like I just got back from the Orange Islands..."

"Stop complaining," hissed Genghis, who wore similar attire. He looked through his binoculars and at the people and pokemon that filled the busy town square of Alto Mare. With a snort, he pulled back around the alleyway's wall. "I mean," he added, "have I ever showed you wrong?"

Khan put a finger to his chin. "Well-"

"Don't answer that."

Khan sighed, but shook the thought away. "Hey, we have codenames, right?"

"Duh. I'm Bob, and you're Jim."

"Oh, _that's_ creative…"

"Shut up, Jim!"

Khan squeaked and nodded hastily.

"Remember," Genghis said. "Ask around for any clues on the location of the Soul Dew. But, at the same time, keep yourself quiet. We don't wanna attract any unwanted attention. Clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good." Genghis turned. "Now, let's do this."

With that, the two Rocket grunts stepped out into the daylight.

* * *

**To Be Continued **

* * *

Next chap coming soon!


	9. The Dance of the Sun and Moon

Hey peoples!

Sorry for the wait, but it's finally here! I am not dead, just hibernating. D:

Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chap!

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Dance of the Sun and Moon **

* * *

"It's just through these bushes, friends."

Ulinawi pushed his way through another group of shrubs and pointed to a similar path hidden behind two moss-covered trees.

Rayquaza trailed behind Latias, whose large grin contradicted his frown. He wanted to say something that could get him out of this offering, but Latias wouldn't forgive him if he pulled her away from it. She was hungry, and so was he.

Latias looked at her counterpart. She read his face, and her smile fell. She slowed her pace until he slid in by her side. "What's wrong, Ray?" she asked.

Rayquaza crossed his arms. "What do you think?"

Latias' eyes turned up in thought. She gazed at the rays of sunshine that poked in through the treetops; they painted the ground in a mysterious light. She hummed as an idea came to mind: "Ray, don't you want to accept the tribe's offering? Aren't you hungry?"

Rayquaza tightened his frown. "That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

He met her gaze.

"I…"

He faltered. He didn't want to tell her about his dislike of helping people. How could she comprehend his wish that most people would take care of themselves? What did she know about his feeling of insignificance, that all he was to the world was a tool used to solve problems?

He closed his jaw and turned his head away. "Just forget it. You wouldn't understand."

"Ray," Latias said. "I want to understand. Please tell me."

He stopped and let out a deep sigh. "I just don't like having lots of attention like we have now."

Latias tilted her head. "Really? You didn't seem to mind it before. When we arrived in Alto Mare, I mean, and everyone saw you for the first time."

"That was different."

"How so?"

Rayquaza grunted, frustrated by her nagging questions.

_Maybe it was because then I was being appreciated for not just being a way out – a hotline. I was being appreciated for being…_

His eyes flashed.

…_me._

"Ray?"

He met his counterpart's worried gaze, shook his thoughts away from his head, and snorted. "Forget it, alright?"

He moved forward and left her behind.

She sighed and caught up to him. She floated up to his face, but he only kept his eyes ahead. "I'm not going to push my way into your business," she said, "but counterparts do need to communicate. Latios and I talked all the same when he was still alive. We rarely hid things from each other-"

"I'm not hiding anything."

"-and we were always truthful with one another. If something's bothering you, then tell me. Bottling up things isn't healthy, Ray."

Rayquaza rolled his eyes. "And I suppose those science magazines told you that?"

"No. It's common sense."

Rayquaza blinked. "You know that this is the most mature you've ever been, right?"

"I learn from the best."

He eyed the large smile that crossed her face. He shook his head. "And you know that you should really learn to look out for your own hide, right? What are you going to do when this week is over and I'm not here anymore?"

"I'll probably be ready to handle myself by then," Latias said with a chuckle. "What you could try to do, though, is appreciate your friends a little bit more." She paused. "Wait, why does that idea sound familiar?"

Ignoring her last words, Rayquaza glared. "Who says I don't?"

"The grumpy, emerald dragon right next to me."

"Now you're just being a smartass."

"I learned that from the best, too."

Rayquaza swallowed his words. Latias smirked and floated past him. His brows furrowed.

_Do Latias' words – or Deoxys', for that matter – mean anything? The other legendaries on the council don't care about me, so why should I have to care about them? The only legendary on the council who's ever actually cared about my existence, who has made me feel like more than what I am, is..._

His expression softened. He looked up at Latias.

He growled and pushed the thought from his head.

_I am Rayquaza. I work alone. This is nothing more but a deal, to feel a counterpart's bond and to get rid of the storm cloud hovering above Latias' head, so she'll stop moping around like it's the end of the world. Nothing more._

"Ray?"

Rayquaza frowned. "What?"

Latias pointed forward. "Ulinawi says we're here."

Rayquaza moved onward and toward Ulinawi, who grinned and gestured to the shrubs in front of him.

"I haven't told you yet, but I must say that you two have helped us at quite the good time, friends," he said; "during a moment of celebration enjoyed by many of this planet's humble creatures." He pushed his way through the bushes. "Come, friends. Come."

The two dragons followed and emerged into a large opening. Trees surrounded a long, grassy field. They opened up at the top to reveal the afternoon sky, and they also served as the foundations for a group of huts built by the tribe pokemon, who circled a bonfire that blazed gloriously in a ditch not too far off. Close to it, mats had been placed in front of tables covered with different types of fruit and edible vegetation. Decorations weaved from native materials hung from various surfaces and gave the place a sense of festivity. Pokemon rushed from left to right to put up more garnishments or place more food on the nearby tables.

Latias stared. "Whoa…"

Ulinawi stretched his hand toward the field. "You have joined us during the start of the Dance of the Sun and Moon."

"'Dance of the Sun and Moon'?" Rayquaza arched a brow. "What's that?"

Latias gasped, recognition in her eyes. "That's what I remember from my words! The Dance of the Sun and Moon! It's a festival celebrated by pokemon and humans once every few years. Alto Mare celebrates it, too." She put a finger to her chin. "That would explain why the marketplace had lots of decorations for sale when we left Alto Mare this morning. I completely forgot that the festival time was even here."

Rayquaza frowned, even more confused. "What is it exactly?"

"It's a celebration that mimics the endless journey of the sun and moon," Ulinawi said as he pointed to the sky. "To us, the sun and moon symbolize two friends who are willing to chase each other until the end of time to be together. Because of this, the Dance of the Sun and Moon is a festival where we celebrate our friends and family – the people around us who make our lives worth experiencing."

"Latios and I always celebrated the Dance of the Sun and Moon with Alto Mare whenever it came up," Latias said. "I guess with the fact that Ray and I have been so caught up in our counterpart business, I forgot it was time for it. But, wait, isn't the festival tomorrow?"

Ulinawi nodded. "It is. But we've been preparing for it for a while now, and we always celebrate a day early. It makes the memory longer lasting for us."

"I can agree with that," said Latias with a grin. "We didn't miss anything, did we?"

"Not at all. In fact, having you two here should make the festival all the more exciting!"

Ulinawi faced his tribe.

"Great gods Rayquaza and Latias are joining us for this day's celebration of the Dance of the Sun and Moon," he said. "Let it not be over before we can feast!"

The pokemon nodded. They led Ulinawi down a trail bordered by two rows of other tribe members, who cheered at the arrival of their leader and the start of the festival. Ulinawi stopped at the end of a long, wooden table; where he sat on a foliage-covered throne.

"Great members of our tribe," he said as other tribe pokemon seated themselves at the table, "a tragedy had almost struck us this very morning, the morning before the Dance of the Sun and Moon. But, great gods Rayquaza and Latias came at the right time and saved us from this near-tragedy, freeing our trapped brethren! Because of this, it makes sense for Rayquaza and Latias to join us for the official feast of the Dance of the Sun and Moon. They have become dear friends today, right? Yes! They have become friends we shall remember for the rest of our days, for if it were not for them, this day would have been ruined!" He smiled. "So, with everyone here and feeling well enough for the start of the Dance, may Latias and Rayquaza sit by our side at this table and have a share of our food. May we also share good fortune with them and help them enjoy this day! Let the music start! Let the celebration begin!"

The pokemon cheered. Some banged drums and played other pokemonmade instruments, filling the air with a joyful tune. Others beckoned to Rayquaza and Latias and led them toward the food-covered table.

Latias' stomach growled at the sight. She grinned sheepishly at the attention she received, but followed eagerly. Rayquaza watched as she shook claws with various pokemon when she neared the table. He sighed and followed; he knew Latias wouldn't let him skip out on this.

Besides, he then thought, it wouldn't hurt to know more about this Dance.

The two dragons sat down at the table, across from each other and close to Ulinawi. The music continued to play as the table filled. Conversations rose, their words louder than the drums in the background. They spoke of the Dance and the brotherly connection all pokemon shared.

Rayquaza frowned and lowered his head by Ulinawi. "So, that's what the Dance is?" he whispered, as Latias licked her lips at the food in front of them. "A friendship thing?"

"Exactly!" Ulinawi said, his voice loud. "It's to celebrate the bond we all have – the bond that allows us to become friends, allies, companions, and family!"

"We're all brothers and sisters underneath the sun and moon," added a poochyena from a few seats down. "Just like the sun and moon! This tribe was built on family. Without them, I would be all alone."

A pidgey raised her wing into the air. "As family, we share whatever we have. We make the best moments last between us."

"This is a time," Ulinawi said, "where we can all be happy to be together, to be able to have allies to turn to when we're in need of help, or just a person to laugh with. Your friends are the kind of people you may fight with from time to time, but are always willing to work it out in the end." He looked at Rayquaza. "The great gods – the legendaries – surely must know the definition of this far better than we. You work by counterparts, right? God of ground, Groudon, and god of water, Kyogre, for example."

Rayquaza tightened his frown. "I don't think the other legendaries knew there was a festival for it, though."

"Well, you both seem to have bonded like all counterparts. So, you two understand the morals of the Dance, right?"

Rayquaza's face fell. Latias grasped the concept, but a loner like him had never applied such mechanics to anything. He opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't know what to say.

"We have an idea," Latias said from the other side of the table.

Rayquaza blinked and met her eyes.

She smiled warmly.

Ulinawi, satisfied with the comment, settled himself into his seat. "One main principle of friendship is the will to do something for someone without the need for something in return. That's also a moral our tribe follows. Tonight we'll share it with you, Rayquaza and Latias. And we'll start with the food."

He clapped his hands together. The music paused and all attention turned to him. He stood.

"We are all ready to celebrate the Dance. Let us enjoy and share our feast with our new friends. Or, as humans would put it, let's dig in!"

The pokemon cheered. As the music started again, they began to eat.

Latias practically jumped into hers. She stuffed a myriad of berries into her mouth in the same fashion she had done with Bianca's cookies.

But, Rayquaza didn't stare at her this time. Instead, his eyes darkened. He blocked out the outside world as he thought. He looked at Latias, his mind elsewhere. Ulinawi's words coursed through his head.

He knew that the legendaries didn't care much for him, because he had never cared much for them. But the fact that he had chosen to help Latias in her time of need filled him with a satisfied feeling. When she looked at him with that warm smile, he felt like he had accomplished something - something only he could accomplish. He didn't feel like a tool. He felt like something more.

This feeling, he thought. He didn't want to let it go.

"Ray?"

Rayquaza escaped his trance and met Latias' bright eyes. Splotches of berry juice covered the feathers around her mouth.

"You aren't touching your food," she said. She pointed to the small mat in front of him, where different fruits and berries lay. "You're hungry, right?"

Rayquaza sighed. He really thought too much about all of this. "I'm fine."

Latias tilted her head, but then she shrugged her shoulders and went back to eating.

Rayquaza looked down at his food, picked up a berry, and threw it into his mouth. He chewed as he gazed at the other pokemon of the tribe. They all ate together and talked about the morals of the Dance of the Sun and Moon. They cared for one another in ways that felt alien to him. But, as he observed the scene and compared it to what he felt with Latias, it comforted him more than anything else.

"After the feast is over," Ulinawi said, "we can show you two around our tribe if you like. I'm sure we'll enjoy having you two around, as you both are an inspiration to all of us."

Latias smiled. "We would love to..." She trailed off as she thought. A frown crossed her face. "Oh, right. We have to get back to the Hall after this, don't we, Ray?"

Rayquaza met her eyes. She wanted to stay. He knew that.

"We got time to share."

Latias gawked at her counterpart.

"But only for a little while," he quickly added. He frowned and crossed his arms.

Latias smiled, her voice soft. "Thanks, Ray..."

Rayquaza looked at her, and he smiled as well.

* * *

"Ask people about the Soul Dew, but don't give away identity. Ask people about the Soul Dew, but don't give away identity. Ask people about the Soul Dew, but don't give away identity. Ask people about identity, but don't give away the Soul Dew – wait, what?"

Khan let out a tired groan. He stumbled around Alto Mare's town square, which bustled with people and pokemon as they shopped at the plaza's vast array of stalls. He slipped through crowds with a sense of claustrophobia. He had yet to find anyone who knew anything about the Soul Dew. What would Genghis say when he found out that Khan had done nothing but stalk the busy streets for the past few hours?

He hoped that his brother had more luck. Genghis had disappeared into the crowd shortly after they had emerged from the alleyway, so Khan couldn't help but wonder where he was.

Khan stopped by a small stall that sold decorations, which he noticed were astrological in design, and that other nearby markets also had them for trade. He pushed the thought away and leaned against the side of the stall. He needed to rest for a minute.

"I'll take that one, please."

He blinked at the feminine voice, which stuck out from the other tones that filled the air. He looked past the stall and gazed at the one next to it, where a woman not much younger than he purchased a paintbrush from the salesman.

His heart almost jumped out of his chest.

She was so…_beautiful_. The way the sunlight hit her and outlined her smooth curves. Her eyes glowed, deep and warm. Her short hair shined, colored a dark brown, like chocolate. Her skin was perfect; Khan couldn't see a single flaw on her slim figure.

He grasped the stall's wall to locate himself. He wanted to get closer to her, but his feet felt plastered to the ground.

Who was she?

"Khan!"

Khan jumped and turned. Genghis appeared by his side, his eyes narrowed.

"Arceus damn it!" he hissed. "I couldn't get a single clue on where the Soul Dew is. Either this town's population consists of morons, or information about the Soul Dew just doesn't get around when 'Dances of Suns and Moons' is the main fad – whatever the hell those are."

Khan breathed a sigh of relief. At least Genghis wouldn't pound him now. "I couldn't find anything either," he said.

Genghis crossed his arms. "Well, that makes two of us. It looks like we're going to have to find another alternative."

"Yeah…"

Khan stared back at the woman from before, who still stood at the stall next to his. His heart fluttered; he didn't want to take his eyes off her.

Meanwhile, Genghis turned the other way and tried to think.

"Maybe we can try to scour this place at night," he said.

"Yeah…"

"Or maybe we can try to follow Latias and Rayquaza the next time we see them."

"Yeah…"

"Or maybe…" Genghis looked at his brother. He scowled. "_Khan_! Are you listening to me?"

Khan squeaked and met his cobalt glare. "Er, yeah. Yeah!"

Genghis snorted and looked in his direction. He saw the brown-haired woman, and his scowl returned. "Who's that?"

"I don't know…" Khan trailed off as a goofy grin crossed his face.

Genghis glared. "You think she would know something about the Soul Dew?"

Khan escaped his trance. "What?"

"We should ask her." Genghis smirked. "Or, better yet, maybe take her to the boat to make sure she gives us the answers we need. I bet you half of the people I talked to lied to me about not knowing about the Soul Dew."

"We can't hurt her!"

Genghis frowned. "Since when do you care about what we do? As long as we obtain the information we need, we won't have to hurt anybody."

He stepped forward to confront the woman.

Khan felt his face pale. He couldn't let their evil intentions hurt her! He wouldn't allow it!

"No!"

He collided with Genghis and pushed him forward, where his foot stomped on the long tail of a nearby charizard. The dragon yelped, spun around, and let out a fire blast, which hit a nidoking and sent it into a nearby stall. Like dominoes, the stalls knocked down one another and created a long line of toppled markets all around the town square. People and pokemon ran about in confusion and shock. Items for sale littered the ground, and the music that played in the background came to an abrupt stop. A wave of dust and dirt flooded the area and everything fell silent.

Eventually, the dust cleared. Coughs and groans emitted from people and pokemon as they stood up and attempted to orient themselves. No one seemed hurt.

Khan stirred and opened his eyes. He saw Genghis sprawled out in front of him – knocked unconscious by the fall – and the charizard he had stepped on holding its throbbing tail, whimpering. Meanwhile, the nidoking it attacked rubbed its sore head as it hoisted itself up from a pile of wood that once consisted a stall.

Khan gazed forward and at the woman from before, who seemed shaken, but fine nonetheless.

"You okay, Bianca?" asked a shop owner as he stepped out from behind his trashed stall.

Khan's heart made another leap. "_Bianca_…" he said. The name rolled off his tongue so smoothly. He sighed with content.

That is, until a group of figures stepped in front of him.

He shook away his trance and looked up. He met the narrowed, coal-colored stares of three bulky policemen, who realized who had started the mayhem.

They crossed their arms and growled.

And Khan only grinned nervously.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

See you guys next chapter!


	10. State of Mind

Hey peoples!

Next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 10: State of Mind**

* * *

"There's nothing complicated about us, or the concepts of the Dance."

Ulinawi led Rayquaza and Latias down the main pathways that consisted the grounds of the tribe. He pointed out various huts and pokemon as he toured them through his home.

"Family time," he said. "Brotherly time. It's what the Dance is all about." He picked up a berry, separated it into two, and gave one piece to a nearby tribe member, who accepted it with a grin. "Like sharing. It's one of the other ways of the Dance that strengthens the bonds between us all."

Latias smiled; she knew the Dance like the back of her claw, yet she had never heard it explained like this. "So, we're brothers to you guys right now?"

"Of course."

Rayquaza grunted. He watched Ulinawi, who picked up more berries from the ground and gave them to his 'brothers' as they passed by. Thoughts filled his head.

"Rayquaza?"

He blinked and met Ulinawi's curious eyes. He hadn't even noticed that he had looked at him. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Your bond with Latias," Ulinawi said, "it is something that truly reflects the concepts of the Dance, yes? But, I'm curious. You both are not natural counterparts, so would it be a burden if I were to ask how your partnership came to be?"

Rayquaza allowed his eyes to wander. He caught sight of Latias as young pokemon tugged her away. She laughed and followed; the children mirroring her excited smile, eager to meet a legendary in person. This left him alone with Ulinawi.

"Well," he then said, remembering his prior conversation with Deoxys, "you're not the only one who's been curious about me and Latias' deal."

Ulinawi nodded. "The bonds between the legendary counterparts are an inspiration to us. They were involved in the creation of the Dance, after all. Hearing about how you and Latias were able to form such a connection would be amazing to know." His brow quirked. "But, you said 'deal'. What do you mean by that?"

"Latias' brother died a while back. He was her counterpart, obviously, and she became depressed about it. So, I made a deal with her. We're being temporary counterparts for a week, until she cheers up."

"Ah," Ulinawi said, "I figured this had been started by something like that. Latios' death was indeed unfortunate. It hadn't taken long for the news of it to pass through the regions. A tragic thing, the death of a great god."

"The rest of the council didn't really like it either, you know."

Ulinawi hummed. "May I ask another question, Rayquaza? What of your bond with Groudon and Kyogre?"

Rayquaza waved a claw. "Erm, on hiatus. I was never close to them anyhow."

"Really?" Ulinawi paused. "That's something we never thought possible. To us, the bonds between all counterparts are strong."

"Like I said, I was never close to them. They were always tied into their business. I stayed true to my own."

"Then what brought you to make this deal with Latias?"

Rayquaza's frown tightened. "I…" He shook his head. "I was curious to see what it felt like to have an actual counterpart."

"Is that all?"

"Basically."

Ulinawi narrowed his eyes, a look of suspiciousness that seemed to fade quickly. "Well, 'temporary' doesn't have to matter."

Rayquaza stopped in place. "What?"

Ulinawi looked up at the sky. He watched as the sun slowly sailed across, a visible phantom of the moon not too far off. "Even if your bond with Latias is temporary, it is still a bond you two have formed. It is now something you share, and sharing is one of the main concepts of the Dance. It is something that should be cherished." He looked at Rayquaza and chuckled. "But, of course, you have an idea of all this, right?"

At that, Rayquaza met his eyes. He remembered how he had anticipated the week to be over. He gulped and dropped his gaze with a sense of guilt.

"Uh…well…"

Ulinawi tilted his head. "Is something wrong?"

Rayquaza pushed aside the feeling and shook his head. "Nope."

"Oh, okay." The squirtle stepped forward. "Come. We should probably see where the young ones took your counterpart."

Rayquaza nodded and followed.

"You see," Ulinawi said as he led Rayquaza in the direction Latias had gone, "there are many concepts to the Dance. Sharing is just one. Another is one I've mentioned before – doing things for your partner and not expecting anything in return." He pointed to a pidgey, who helped a poochyena that had tripped. "Something like that."

Rayquaza glanced at the scene.

Ulinawi suddenly laughed. "And again I explain to you something that you already know."

"Uh…?"

"Your bond with Latias. You have shared with her your wisdom and guidance, and you are doing something for her without really expecting a reward. That 'something' being this counterpart deal, I mean. Even if your previous bond with Groudon and Kyogre wasn't strong, the bond you have created with Latias holds a deeper power. You two are already following the concepts of the Dance pretty well."

Rayquaza opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed it. The chance to satiate his curiosity of having a counterpart didn't match up to what Latias received from this. In a way, he really didn't expect a reward.

"When you think about it," Ulinawi said, "the bond between two beings is like the bond between…" He looked around. A smile crossed his face as he spotted a rose growing on a bush not too far off. He walked over and picked it, making sure to watch out for its thorns. "…is like the bond between the petals and stem of this rose."

Rayquaza escaped his trance and stared at the rose in Ulinawi's hands. Its scarlet petals glowed in the sunlight; its green stem long, firm, and damp.

"One person is the top," Ulinawi said as he petted the rose's face, "and the other is the bottom. One represents the petals, and the other represents the stem." He picked a petal and held it up. "Alone, neither mean anything. They're but fragments of something much greater. However, when together…" He stuck the petal back in place. He then held up the entire flower, stem and all. "They equal to something beautiful and mystifying. Like the sun and moon. Like the bond between two beings."

He turned and offered the rose to Rayquaza.

Rayquaza stared at it with widened eyes. Somewhat hesitant, the dragon then reached forward and took the flower, where he rested it across his palm.

Ulinawi smiled softly. He reached for the bush he had picked the rose from and used both hands to push the shrubs aside.

It revealed a large field of roses, like a sea. The dew they had gathered sparkled in the sunlight. Their soft, luscious petals illuminated the air with fresh scents and hues of red. In the middle of the field was Latias, who stared at the scene around her with amazement. The children that had brought her here circled her with glee.

Ulinawi looked at Rayquaza. He smirked at how the dragon's jaw had slightly dropped. "Beautiful, isn't it? Every one of these roses were planted in honor of a bond between two members of our tribe. As you can see, there's quite a lot. There are as many roses as there are of us."

He stepped forward and into the field.

Rayquaza lingered behind and thought about the squirtle's words. He looked at Latias.

His counterpart.

Slowly, he raised the rose and aligned the shapes of its petals with the feathery dragon. Their scarlet hue blended well with her redness.

_One represents the petals..._

Rayquaza lowered his eyes and looked at the stem that protruded from the bottom of the flower. Long and green, like himself.

… _and the other represents the stem._

"Ray?"

He met the gaze of Latias as she floated forward. He quickly hid the rose behind his back.

"Isn't it amazing?" she asked. She looked back at the roses. Her eyes grew warm. "What it all represents, too. It's awe-inspiring. This is why I love the Dance, the messages behind it and all that. It reminds me that my bond with Latios will never die…and that my bond with you is something deep and powerful. I'm glad you're my counterpart, Ray, even if it's just temporary."

Rayquaza paused at that.

Latias smiled at him. She turned around to head back toward Ulinawi and the children-

"Wait, Latias."

She stopped and blinked at Rayquaza. "Hmm?"

He swallowed hard. Then, he pulled his claws out from behind his back and revealed the rose. He held it out to his counterpart.

"Um...for you," he said. "For us, I mean. For what we represent, for what the bond we share represents."

Latias beamed. "Wow, Ray!" She reached forward and took the rose. "Thank you so much!"

Rayquaza shrugged and turned his head the other way. "Meh…don't worry about it."

His eyes widened when Latias leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek. A blush crossed his face as she pulled back, where the white parts of her cheeks seemed to also tinge red.

"Really," she murmured. "Thank you."

Rayquaza could only nod, his blush still present.

Latias gently tucked the rose behind her ear and headed out into the field.

Rayquaza stared at her as she went. Ulinawi's voice returned to his head:

_Alone, neither mean anything. They're but fragments of something much greater_.

He gently touched the spot where she had nuzzled him.

_However, when together…They equal to something beautiful and mystifying. _

He smiled.

_Just like a rose._

* * *

Hours passed as Ulinawi showed Rayquaza and Latias more of the tribe. When twilight commenced across the skies over Hoenn, Rayquaza figured it was time to leave.

"A day well spent," Ulinawi said, as Latias and Rayquaza prepared themselves to head out. "And it was an honor spending it with you, Rayquaza and Latias. I hope you enjoyed staying with us."

Latias beamed. "It was great! Thanks so much!" She turned her eyes to the rest of the tribe, who all stood behind Ulinawi, waving. "Goodbye, everyone!"

Rayquaza bowed his head to the tribe, and then turned to his counterpart. "Come on, Latias."

They took off into the sky.

"So…" Latias looked at Rayquaza as they flew over Hoenn. "Should we return to the Hall of Legends to report back to Arceus?"

Rayquaza hummed. "Actually, it's getting kind of late. We'll report back to him at the meeting tomorrow morning."

"Oh, okay!" She grinned. "Well, this was a pretty fun day, right?"

Rayquaza turned his head to her. The rose he had given her still lay behind her ear, and he forgot what he wanted to say.

"Um...yeah, it was."

The two dragons made their way back to Alto Mare, which shined in the light of the setting sun, as it usually did. However, the streets were illuminated in colors of gold and silver; shops and houses that lined them covered in astrological decoration. Rayquaza gazed upon the scene with bewildered eyes as he and Latias approached the city's gate.

"The town must be getting ready for the Dance tomorrow," Latias said. She turned to her counterpart. "Latios and I, we would always head out into the streets during the Dance and celebrate it with the townspeople. Of course…" She frowned. "I haven't really done so since, you know, he passed."

Rayquaza arched a brow. "Would you want to do it this time?"

"Well…" Latias shrugged. "Only if _you_ wanted to. I mean, if you don't, that's fine. I understand."

Rayquaza swallowed hard and turned back to Alto Mare. A part of him wanted to say no - the fraction of his personality that didn't like parties. But, his other side screamed something entirely different.

"Well…"

"Forget it," Latias said with a soft laugh. "Forget that I said anything. We don't have to celebrate it if you don't want to. I mean, we kind of already did with Ulinawi's tribe, anyhow, so I'm all set."

Rayquaza frowned. She respected his wishes, but he felt more guilty than flattered.

"Come on, Ray," she said, and she led him toward the Secret Garden.

They emerged into it a few minutes afterward. Dark and silent. The pokemon that resided there had turned in for the night; calmness filled the area, save the sounds of the water that ran from the ponds and fountains.

Latias floated toward the fountain that held the Soul Dew. She looked at it with memories of the Dance. Gently, she took the rose Rayquaza had given her from behind her ear and placed it beside the fountain. She backed away to admire how it looked.

Rayquaza came up beside her. His gold eyes glowed in the darkness.

"There," Latias said, gesturing to the rose, "now I have symbols of both my bond with Latios, and my bond with you."

Rayquaza only met her eyes.

Latias floated away from the fountain and headed toward the grassy areas of the Secret Garden, where she and Rayquaza had made their sleeping places. She yawned. "I suppose we should get some sleep." She looked at him. "We have to get up early tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah…"

Latias laid down and snuggled into the soft grass. She closed her eyes and sighed contently.

Rayquaza curled up near Latias. He laid his head down on the grass, though his eyes stayed open with thoughts. Latias had no motivation to celebrate the Dance with the townspeople, like she always did before Latios died. A sad sight, even to him. He silently raised his head so he could gaze at Latias, where more guilt strangled his gut. He didn't want to see her like this. The purpose of their deal was to cheer her up and turn her back into her normal self.

He sighed and laid his head back down. His eyes wandered over the surroundings; the grassy fields and pathways, the trees, and the moss-covered stone walls that consisted the Secret Garden. He imagined what the place would look like covered with those astrological decorations, like the streets of Alto Mare outside. It would glow in hues of silver and gold. It would look amazing.

Rayquaza blinked as he thought this over. He looked around at the scene before him.

An idea came to him.

A faint idea, but an idea nonetheless. He glanced at Latias, then glanced back at the Secret Garden. Anticipation shuddered across his muscles, as the idea developed itself inside of his mind. He lowered his head back to the ground and closed his eyes. He knew that he couldn't accomplish the idea tonight.

He smirked.

So, he would do it tomorrow.

* * *

"You're making a huge mistake keeping us locked up in here!"

The police officer switched his bored gaze to Genghis, who glared at him from behind the bars of his prison cell.

"If you don't get us out of here right now…" Genghis hissed. "I'll, I'll-"

"You'll _what_?" the cop asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"I'll do something!"

"You've been threatening to do something ever since I put you in there."

Genghis growled and turned to his brother, who sat on the cheap, stained mattress in the back of the cell. "Why aren't _you_ doing anything?"

Khan jumped. "Huh, what?"

Genghis stepped forward and jabbed a finger toward him. "You've been sitting there all day staring at the four walls while I've been working hard to get our asses out of here!"

"Er…well…"

"Get your damn head out of the gutter!"

In reality, Khan could only think of Bianca – the beautiful woman he had seen in the town square. Her name, her looks; though they were all things that were new to Khan, they had still turned him into a lovesick fool. Genghis didn't know of his crush, and he preferred to keep it that way.

"Well," the police officer said as he checked his watch, "my shift's almost over. I think I'm going to head out and let the next person take charge."

Genghis snarled. "_What_? Aren't you going to release us? We've been in here for hours!"

The officer scoffed. "Not long enough, if you ask me. You two caused quite the trouble in the plaza. Though everything's fixed now, you're both staying here until we can figure out a proper verdict."

"This is cruel and unusual punishment," Genghis said.

"No, having to deal with two idiotic tourists like you is cruel and unusual punishment. Now, if you don't mind, stay here and be good. It's not like you can do much else anyway."

Genghis mumbled a series of curses.

The officer rose to his feet and headed toward the door. As soon as it shut behind him, Khan turned his eyes to his brother.

"Now what?" he asked.

Genghis smirked. "Now that that buffoon is finally gone, we get out of here, of course."

Khan arched an eyebrow. "What? How?"

Genghis tugged at his fake necklace. He broke the chain and slipped off a bead that was somewhat larger than the others. He then scratched at the brown paint that covered it, which revealed the red-and-white surface of a minimized pokeball. "With our pokemon," he said. "I hid them in our necklaces in case something like this happened."

Khan turned his eyes to his own fake necklace, and, following his brother, soon uncovered his own pokeball. "Wow, good thinking."

"_Someone_ has to be the brains around here."

Khan frowned at that.

Genghis tossed the pokeball to the ground, releasing his pokemon – an electivire. Khan did the same and freed his rhyperior.

"Now," Genghis said, "let's get the hell out of here! Electivire, use thunder punch on the wall!"

Khan followed. "Rhyperior, do the same with rock smash!"

The two pokemon growled and used their attacks to smash their way through the cell's back wall. The dark alleyways of Alto Mare opened up to the two Rocket grunts.

"Come on!" Genghis said as he headed forward, his electivire not far behind.

Khan stumbled from the sudden command, but caught up seconds later with his rhyperior at his heels.

Meanwhile, another police officer entered the cell room. Her jaw dropped at the sight of a large gaping hole where the cell's back wall had once been.

"Jailbreak!"

She caught sight of the distant figures of Genghis and Khan. Quickly, she released her houndoom and sent it forward.

"Don't let them escape!"

The houndoom barked, jumped through the hole, and ran after Genghis and Khan.

"Crap!" Genghis hissed as he saw the approaching pokemon. "I'm really starting to hate houndoom!"

"Rhyperior!" Khan called out. "Stone edge!"

Rhyperior growled, raised his arms, and unleashed a wave of rocks toward the houndoom. It snarled, dodged each of the rock fragments, and headed toward Rhyperior with its jaws glowing black. It jumped forward and latched onto Rhyperior's arm, where he struggled to throw the pokemon off while keeping up with his master.

Khan, Genghis, and the three pokemon came across a small bridge that connected two alleyways split by a canal. Water rushed through it as the town performed its nightly waterway cleaning. Khan stopped when he reached the middle of the bridge, noticing how his rhyperior lagged behind in the midst of dealing with the attacking houndoom.

"Rhyperior!" he said. "Hyper beam!"

Rhyperior opened his jaw. The orange-colored energy of a hyper beam attack formed in the back of his throat.

The houndoom gritted its teeth anxiously and let go of the pokemon's arm. It backed off to avoid the attack.

Or, better yet, improvise.

It jumped up right before Rhyperior launched his hyper beam, where it fired a shadow ball from its mouth. The ball made contact with Rhyperior's jaw and threw his head back. His beam then shot out from his mouth and headed in the other direction.

Khan's face paled as he saw the beam approach. He moved out of the way in time, but the beam whizzed by him and hit the bridge beneath his feet. It crumbled under the power of the attack. Khan struggled to keep his balance, but he lost his footing and fell into the rushing water below.

He surfaced as fast as he could. He felt his body being dragged in the direction of the current - away from the destroyed bridge, away from his rhyperior and the opposing houndoom, and away from Genghis; who appeared at the edge of the canal, his eyes bright with fear.

The last thing Khan heard was his brother calling his name. Then, the water swallowed him up, and everything went black.

* * *

**To Be Continued **

* * *

See you guys next chap!


	11. To Deceit and Assist

Hey peoples!

Next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 11: To Deceit and Assist**

* * *

"Come on, Latias!"

Latias arched her brow and stared at Rayquaza.

When she had woken up that morning, her counterpart had been the first thing she noticed; wide awake and examining the Secret Garden, like a designer for a manmade home. Before she could ask questions, though, he had ushered her out the door and into the waking streets of Alto Mare.

"What's the rush, Ray?" she asked. She floated up from the Garden's doorway and toward her counterpart, who already hovered above her.

He smirked. "We have to report to Arceus, remember? We didn't do it last night."

Latias looked at his face. She blinked at the fact that he almost seemed enthusiastic.

"Yes, but why are you-"

Rayquaza cut her off when he flew behind her and nudged her forward with his claw. She grunted and moved forward, while Rayquaza hummed thoughtfully and shot one last look at Alto Mare, its buildings decorated for the Dance of the Sun and Moon that night.

"Is something wrong, Ray?" Latias asked when she and her counterpart took off into the clouds seconds later.

"Nope."

Rayquaza forced a frown, and Latias shrugged as she pushed the matter aside.

The two dragons soon made it to the Hall of Legends, where they flew into the meeting room. The other legendaries had just begun to take their seats, and Rayquaza sighed with relief that he and Latias weren't late this time. Right as Latias grinned at him, he nudged her again with his claw and gestured to her seat. Once she was seated, he took the empty place right beside her, silent.

Arceus stepped onto his pedestal. He sailed his eyes over the other legendaries as he took attendance. His brows rose when he caught sight of Rayquaza and Latias, in which Latias waved at him happily from her seat. Impressed with how they had made it on time, Arceus nodded at her.

Then, he opened his mouth and began the meeting.

* * *

"I see," Arceus said with a hum.

With the meeting over, the legendaries had lined up to speak with Arceus about the missions he had given them the previous day. Rayquaza and Latias had been last, but when they finally came up, they told of the positive success of their mission, while keeping any off-topic details to themselves.

"So," Latias said. "Did we meet your expectations?"

Arceus smiled. "Of course you did. You saved the members of the tribe from danger, and you did it with teamwork."

Latias grinned.

Rayquaza smirked as surprised looks crossed the other legendaries.

"I have no assignments that need to be done today," Arceus announced to the whole room. "Therefore, you may all spend the rest of the day as you like."

As cheers filled the air, Arceus turned back to Rayquaza and Latias.

"You both have already been counterparts for three days," he said. "And, so far, you seem to be working well together. I'm proud of the both of you. Continue with what you're doing. With teamwork comes an easier way to open up doors with bigger opportunities."

With that, he stepped down from his pedestal and headed into the back rooms - to enjoy his own free time.

Latias faced the crowd of legendaries before her. She looked at Rayquaza. "What do you want to do now, Ray?"

Rayquaza met her eyes. He had to start on his plan now if he wanted it to be ready by tonight. Latias had to be away from him until he could finish it. Away from the Secret Garden in Alto Mare, to be exact. He looked behind him and tried to think of a way to distract her. He would be gone for the next few hours, and he didn't want to risk that Latias would stumble into the Garden before everything was complete and in place.

He saw Deoxys as she talked with Mewtwo toward the corner of the room. He remembered the conversation they had shared before he and Latias had taken off to do their mission. As Latias continued to sail her gaze around the other legendaries, Rayquaza silently made his way over to Deoxys, who turned her bluish-green eyes to him. She paused Mewtwo in the middle of his sentence with a gesture of her hand.

"What's up, Rayquaza?" she asked. She looked at Latias. "Is something wrong?"

"Do you think you can do something for me?" Rayquaza said. He moved to the side and blocked her view of his counterpart.

She met his eyes. "What, exactly?"

Rayquaza glanced behind him and at Latias, and he lowered his voice into a whisper: "Can you keep Latias here for a few hours? I need to…go somewhere. Alone. Without her."

"A few _hours_?"

"It's not like you have anything else to do today!" Rayquaza rolled his eyes. "Besides, I really need your help here."

"Can I ask why?"

Rayquaza snorted. "Just do what I say, okay? I don't have that much time as it is. I'll tell you about it later."

Deoxys ran a hand down her face. "Okay, okay. Just…don't make it too long."

"Thanks, Deoxys."

With that, Rayquaza disappeared into the crowd.

Deoxys stared at Latias, who then turned, noticed her counterpart's absence, and glanced around in search of him. Bidding Mewtwo farewell, Deoxys approached the smaller dragon.

"What's wrong, Latias?" she asked.

"Have you seen Rayquaza?"

Deoxys raised her finger. "Uh, he said he was going out for a fly. You know, to think about things a little."

"Why didn't he ask me to come?"

"…Well, you know him. He was used to being alone before all of this began. He probably just wanted one of those 'alone times' again. Don't worry. He'll be back soon."

Latias frowned, but nodded.

"And I'll keep you company until he gets back," Deoxys said, as she wrapped an arm around Latias in a friendly manner.

Latias smiled. "Thanks, Deoxys."

As the feathery dragon floated forward, Deoxys paused. She wondered how she could find enough ways to keep Latias distracted all by herself. She looked around.

Mew floated by seconds later.

Perfect.

"Hey, Mew?" Deoxys whispered out.

Mew's ears twitched with curiosity. She floated toward the space virus. "Deoxys?"

"Rayquaza needs us to distract Latias and keep her here," Deoxys said. "I think I'm going to need your help on this."

Mew nodded eagerly. "Okay! I'll help!" She paused. "But, what for?"

Deoxys shook her head as she led Mew toward Latias.

"Not a clue, Mew. Not a clue..."

* * *

_Ugh…my head…_

Khan Temujin groaned. He felt dizzy, and the light that filled his eyes as soon as he opened them practically made him hiss. Slowly, he leaned forward and rubbed his sore head. He looked around, his vision still blurry, as he tried to identify where he was.

Genghis. Houndoom. Running. When Khan had ordered his rhyperior to attack, something had gone wrong. Darkness had overtaken him. He couldn't remember anything else but the smell and taste of water.

He gazed around and noticed that he was in a bedroom. The light of the afternoon sun streamed in through the open windows and created a warm and deep glow, which illuminated the wooden floor. He clenched his hand and felt a soft material gather in his fist. He looked down to realize that he was in a bed. Sheets and towels cushioned his back, while a large comforter covered him and warmed him up.

_Where am I?_

_How did I get here?_

Despite how comfortable he felt, he couldn't help but ask these questions to himself. He looked around some more. An easel sat in the corner of the room. An unfinished painting of Rayquaza covered its canvas. At that, Khan realized that pictures of all sorts of pokemon and humans hung from the walls, attached by pieces of tape, to where they moved in the light breezes that passed through the opened windows.

Khan's eyebrows rose. The paintings were beautiful-

The nearby door opened. Khan squeaked and pulled the comforter over his head. He still wondered who had rescued him from the water and brought him to this place. Though he felt grateful, he felt even more anxious.

A woman stepped in through the door.

Khan saw her face. He lost his hold on the comforter.

_Bianca…_

Bianca carried a tray with a mug of tea and a small plate of cookies. She blinked when she noticed that Khan stared back at her, and she quickly put the tray down and rushed to the door.

"Grandpa!" she called out. "He's awake!"

She came back and made her way over to the bed.

"How are you doing?" she asked, eyes bright. "Are you okay?"

Khan swallowed hard and forced a nod. He stifled the blood that tried to rush to his face.

A short, round man entered the room, dressed in clothes that made him look like some sort of carpenter. A white-colored beard covered his jaw. He ran his fingers through it as he walked over to the bed and stopped beside Bianca, who then pulled back to meet his eyes.

"It's nice to see you're awake, son," the man said. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Bianca thought that you hit your head and you were in a coma."

Bianca chuckled sheepishly. "Okay, so I jump to conclusions a little too fast. Who doesn't sometimes?"

Khan didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.

"Well," the man added, "I might as well do the introductions. I'm Lorenzo. This is my granddaughter, Bianca."

"I'm…" Khan trailed off. "I'm Kha-"

He stopped, shook his head, and sighed.

"Jim," he then said. "My name's Jim."

"Jim, eh?" Lorenzo hummed. "Okay. Well, Jim, do you have any idea what happened last night?"

Khan paused. "I…I don't know."

Lorenzo frowned. "You must've really hit your head then."

"I was taking a walk through the streets," Bianca said, "when I saw you floating in the water of a canal. You were unconscious, so I thought I'd bring you here. Alto Mare does have a clinic, but it's on the other side of the main plaza and my house was closer."

Khan widened his eyes. He looked beneath his comforter.

"Don't worry," Bianca said with a laugh. "Your clothes were wet, but I thought it would be awkward to change you out of them when...you know. So, I just put some towels under you."

Khan sighed in relief.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. She turned around and reached for the tray she had put down earlier. "I made you some tea, and I brought you some cookies."

Khan had to smile at that. "Thanks."

"I need to head back to the shop," Lorenzo said. "Do you think you'll be okay here, Jim? If anything serious comes up, we have no problem taking you to the clinic."

"I think I'm fine now."

"Yeah," Bianca said. "Besides, I'll stay with him. Having went through what he just went through, he could probably use the company."

Khan's face fell. He opened his mouth to refuse her kind offer, but he couldn't get the words to come out.

Lorenzo nodded. "Alright. I'll be back later."

After Lorenzo left, Bianca pulled up the chair by the easel, placed it beside the bed and sat down. She handed the food tray to Khan, who took it and quickly grabbed a cookie. His stomach growled with hunger.

"So, where're you from?" Bianca asked. "By the look of your clothes, you don't come from here."

"I…I'm not," Khan said. "I'm from…uh…somewhere else."

Bianca blinked, but then shrugged her shoulders. "Well, do you have any family? Someone I can call to let you know that you're alright?"

"Uh. No."

"Hmm? You have no family?"

"I do, but they're not close by. I'm on vacation."

"Oh. That would explain a lot. I guess you're not used to the 'living rules of Alto Mare', then?"

Khan frowned, bewildered. "What are those?"

Bianca laughed. Khan wanted to smile. Her laugh - it was so warm.

"Just basic non-official rules that apply to all residents here," she said. "Rule Number One: Keep a firm footing when walking on the bridges that cross over canals, or you might very well slip and fall off." She shook her head, amused. "It's happened before with other visitors, so don't feel bad."

"Thanks," Khan said, chuckling himself; "now I know I'm not an idiot. Or, at least in this case."

"Glad I could help."

Khan looked at the easel with a thoughtful hum. "Did you make that?"

"Yup."

"It's really good," he said. "It's Rayquaza, right?"

Bianca nodded.

Khan looked at the finished paintings that hung from the walls. "Did you make all of those, too?"

"I like to paint in my free time. I know, they're not super great..."

"Are you kidding? You're amazing!"

Khan paused as those words fell from his lips. He quickly turned his face away from hers.

Bianca swallowed hard, as if embarrassed. Then, she smiled. "Um. Thank you, Jim. That's really nice!"

Khan slowly brought his eyes back to her. She still had that smile on her face. She looked beautiful. He sighed and shook the thought from his head. What kind of Rocket grunt was he? If Genghis was here…

His eyes widened.

Genghis!

He had nearly forgotten about his brother! Gritting his teeth, he wondered what had happened to him. Was he looking for him?

Did he even care?

A frown crossed Khan's face. Genghis probably didn't care…

"Something wrong?"

"N-no," Khan quickly said. He put the tray down beside him and shifted himself to get out of the bed. Whether his brother cared or not, they were still on a mission. "I…I have to go."

Bianca got up from her seat. "What? Why do you have to leave so fast?"

"I-I just do."

As soon as Khan stood, he stumbled over. Bianca caught him before he hit the floor. She wrapped her arms around him to keep him steady.

His heartbeat increased. Meanwhile, Bianca didn't seem fazed by their close contact.

"I know that you're going to have to leave eventually," she said, her voice firm, "but I don't think it's a good idea to do so right at this very instant. You're not done recovering yet, so I think you should get another hour or two of rest."

Khan swallowed, but didn't protest. Gently, Bianca helped him get back into his bed.

"Just take another nap," she said with a smile. "Your body will heal itself faster when you're not up and about ordering it to do stuff." She made her way to the door. "I'm going to go prepare myself for the Dance of the Sun and Moon tonight, so I'll check on you later."

Khan's eyes flashed. He remembered how Genghis had mentioned such a thing earlier – a 'Dance of the Sun and Moon'. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "What's that? The Dance, I mean."

"You don't know?" Bianca backtracked. "Well, I guess that makes sense – you just visiting and all. Alright, it's like this…"

Professionally, she explained the concepts of the Dance and what Alto Mare did whenever it came up.

When she finished, Khan blinked. "Wow," he said. "Sounds like some party."

"It's really fun to go to!"

A pause.

"Wait," Bianca added, "you're just visiting, so that means you've never attended a celebration of the Dance, right?"

Khan nodded.

Bianca laughed. "Well, that doesn't seem right. How about if you're feeling better tonight, you can come out and celebrate with me? I'll show you everything you need to do."

"I…" Khan trailed off.

He had his mission to think about. He had to find his brother. What if Bianca discovered who he really was?

But, at the same time - when did he get the chance to relax with someone? Definitely with how his career as a Team Rocket member prevented him from making connections with people outside of the organization?

He wouldn't mind spending a few more hours with Bianca, either. He wouldn't mind at all.

Before his brain could catch up, his heart answered for him: "That sounds…good." He smiled. "Really good!"

Bianca returned the smile. "Great! It doesn't start until tonight, so get some more rest and I'll wake you when it's time to leave."

With that, she left.

Khan sunk back into the bed and closed his eyes.

* * *

Rayquaza stopped when Alto Mare came into view. He gazed at it as it glowed in the afternoon sun.

"You want the Dance?" he said to himself - to the image of Latias in his head. "I'll make sure that you'll get your Dance."

And he flew forward, a smirk on his face.

* * *

**To Be Continued **

* * *

Next chap coming soon!


	12. Like a Rose

Hey peoples!

Wow, how long has it been since an update? xD

Ah well, this story's definitely back in business!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Like a Rose**

* * *

Darkness covered the Secret Garden, regardless of the sunlight that rained down between the treetops. Silent and mystical, like a forest in a fantasy novel, home to many magical creatures hidden to the naked eye. The air felt cool and warm, able to provide both security and comfort to whoever entered its midst.

Rayquaza hummed. He placed his claw on the stone wall in front of him and felt the softness of the moss that covered it. His eyes followed the wall as it stretched around the entire Garden. He still didn't know if it had been man or pokemon that had built the hall-like structure, but he didn't much care. He pulled away from the wall and faced the rest of the Garden.

He had to agree that the Garden resembled paradise – a calm place to retire for the night when he needed seclusion and silence. But, in the end, it seemed to lack life. Without Latias, the place felt dead; the mortal pokemon that resided here were so quiet that they might as well have not existed.

For a second, he wondered how Deoxys could handle Latias for the next few hours. If she could keep her away long enough for him to get his job done, he would grow to respect the space virus for a whole new reason.

"Alright," he said. His voice echoed across the Garden and reminded him of Latias' absence, strong enough to mimic a slap in the face. He frowned, shook his head, and watched as small pokemon emerged from their dens, their eyes curious toward his call.

He floated toward them.

"You're probably all wondering why I'm here and Latias isn't with me," he said. "It's because I'm trying something, and I wouldn't mind to have some help, if any of you won't mind giving it."

The pokemon looked at each other. Then, they looked back at Rayquaza and nodded.

Rayquaza smirked. "Thanks. Anyway, I just got done layering out the whole Garden. The Dance of the Sun and Moon is tonight, and I want to get this place dressed up for the occasion."

"Why?" asked a nearby sentret.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to. Now, I only have a few hours before Latias comes searching for me, so this place needs to be ready by sunset. I'm going to need decorations. Lots of them. Decorations made specifically for the Dance, and maybe some random ones to add more flavor. I'll get a lot of this on my own, but I'm going to need a lot of decorations, and a lot more claws and paws to find them and carry them here. This Garden is going to be _covered _once I'm done."

The pokemon exchanged looks again. They all wondered why Rayquaza seemed interested in the Dance. Questions flew out of their mouths as Rayquaza pushed them toward the door into the Garden.

"If anything," he said with a slight shake of his head, "do this for Latias."

No one questioned anything after that.

* * *

Rayquaza flew over the main plaza of Alto Mare. Stalls covered in astrological ornaments lined up along the cobblestone pathways and served a majority of human and pokemon customers. As his shadow swam across the ground, many of them looked up and widened their eyes. Despite the three days he had already spent in the town, many of its inhabitants still weren't used to the sight of him. He threw a quick smirk at them. Then, he turned his attention to the stalls, where the shopkeepers practically dropped everything they held when he lowered his head to look at the stock they had for sale.

Since he knew that humans couldn't comprehend pokemon-based speech, he simply pointed to any stray boxes of decorations they had hidden away by their counters. The shopkeepers nodded with high respect and pulled out the boxes one by one. Rayquaza took as many as he could carry in his claws, where he then looked down and watched as the pokemon from the Garden emerged from behind him and helped one another in carrying any leftover boxes.

"Come on," he said to them.

They made their way back to the Secret Garden.

Rayquaza placed his boxes down and opened them. He pulled out various types of ornaments, which included tinsel of different colors and figurines that represented friendship and the sun and moon. As pokemon continued to come into the Garden and drop their boxes, he looked at a large group that had gathered behind him.

"Start hanging up the decorations," he said. "Everywhere. If a decoration can go there without tripping anyone, then you should probably put something there."

The pokemon nodded and scurried off to get to work.

Rayquaza hung up the tinsel and figurines across the walls. Whenever he used all the ornaments he held, one of the small pokemon pushed another box to his side. He flashed grateful smirks at them and continued to work. Within the following hours, the hall that stretched along the Garden glowed with gold and silver and red and green, as it followed an unknown pattern.

Rayquaza swallowed hard. He wished there had been a manual for stuff like this, but he pushed aside his anxiousness and based everything on what Latias might have liked to see.

She wanted to celebrate the Dance. As her counterpart, the least he could do was give her something to work with.

Pokemon came into the Garden. They carried lanterns above their head – large, circular lanterns, with shaded covers and long handles. They reminded Rayquaza of ancient eras, but they seemed to fit with the rest of the Garden as the pokemon placed them in different locations. Some circled the fountain that held the Soul Dew, while others spread out to form a chain that snaked between the trees and traced along the walls of the hall.

Fire type pokemon came forward to light the lanterns, until an orange glow emanated from each of the bulbs. It filled the air with a sense of warmth and security, and it mixed together with the shines of the ornaments that covered the hall and hung from the trees and their branches.

Rayquaza smirked as he gazed upon the Garden.

"I think we're done," he said.

The pokemon grinned at each other. Then, they looked at Rayquaza.

His smirk widened.

"Now, for Phase Two."

* * *

"Have any fives?"

"Go fish!"

Deoxys muttered a curse and reached for the card pile between her, Mew, and Latias.

Mew looked at Latias with a sly grin.

"Got any threes?" she asked.

Latias sighed and handed her three card to Mew, who gathered it with her own and slapped them down onto the floor with a sense of superiority.

"I'm on a roll!"

Deoxys ignored Mew as she danced around. Instead, she looked at Latias, whose eyes had strayed to the door into the meeting room of the Hall of Legends. That look hadn't vanished from Latias' face since Rayquaza left hours ago, despite how Deoxys and Mew tried to distract her with activities that ranged from trivia to manmade card games. Deoxys wondered why Latias had stayed with them when she could've left.

Maybe Latias really did respect Rayquaza's wishes, even if the one in question was a downright lie-

The doors opened. Rayquaza flew in and looked around.

Latias grinned – for the first time since he had left.

"Ray!"

"Hey, Latias," Rayquaza said, as his counterpart floated over to him.

She pouted. "That was a really long fly you took…"

Rayquaza blinked. "Um…"

He looked past his counterpart and at Deoxys, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Uh, yeah…" he said. "Wound up getting lost in a storm and everything. Really sucked."

Latias giggled. "Well, I'm just glad you're safe, Ray! Deoxys and Mew have been keeping me company since you were gone."

Rayquaza looked back at Deoxys, as well as Mew when she poked her head up from behind the space virus's shoulder.

"Great," he said. "Remind me to thank them later."

Deoxys rolled her eyes and made a shooing gesture with her hand, while Mew laughed and saluted obediently.

"Let's head back to Alto Mare," Rayquaza said. "It's nearly sunset now."

Latias nodded and waved goodbye to Mew and Deoxys. She followed her counterpart out the door.

When they were gone, Deoxys looked at Mew.

Then, the two legendaries sat back down and faced one another, cards in hand.

"Got any fours?"

* * *

Alto Mare glowed, even with the fact that the sun had vanished beneath the horizon. Hues of gold and silver – the colors of the sun and moon – illuminated its streets, as music played from various instruments and filled the air with a sense of festivity. Humans and pokemon danced to the joyful tunes; like the decorations that hung from the buildings and circled the streets, they added color to the town.

Latias sighed when she and Rayquaza approached the town gate.

"Looks like the Dance has begun," she said. Her eyes darkened. "It's been so long since I've really celebrated it."

Rayquaza grunted. "You can always go down there, you know. I won't care."

"The Dance is meant to be shared between two people," Latias said. "I can't go down there without you. It wouldn't seem right. Besides," she added with a weak smile, "I know you're not a party person, so I'll feel bad if I force you to go."

Rayquaza frowned. He looked back at Alto Mare.

"Come on," he said.

Latias nodded. She followed Rayquaza over the town, where the humans and pokemon that gathered in the streets waved up at them happily. She acknowledged them with a small grin, while Rayquaza simply nodded.

When they arrived at the doorway into the Secret Garden, Rayquaza stopped in front of it.

Latias arched a brow and flew up to his side. "Something wrong, Ray?"

"No," he said, short and simple. He looked at Latias, and he moved behind her and covered her eyes with his claws.

Latias paused. "Uh. What are you doing, Ray?"

"Don't ask questions," he said. "Just follow me…"

Latias opened her mouth to say something. Rayquaza nudged her forward with his tail before she could. His claws still covered her eyes. She wanted to feel around to make sure she didn't float into a wall, but she kept her arms by her side when Rayquaza grunted in her ear, his breath warm against her feathers.

She felt the cool air of the Secret Garden as her counterpart led her into the doorway. She turned her head, as if to look around, despite that the only things she could see were Rayquaza's green palms.

Then, he removed his claws from her face.

Latias' jaw dropped as she gazed upon the Secret Garden.

Lit lanterns filled the air with a warm glow, as they circled the Soul Dew's fountain and the hall-like entrance. Various decorations hung off the walls and trees, gathered together to where their colors flashed in the lanterns' lights and reflected off the water of the different pools around the Garden. Past the holes in the treetops, stars shined brightly, marking the way for the moon as it began to form in the sky - a silver medallion that matched the design of everything else.

As if on cue, different pokemon jumped out of their hiding places, large grins on their faces.

"Surprise!"

Latias only looked at Rayquaza. He chuckled at the sight of her widened eyes.

"I'm definitely not a party person," he said. "But, when it's a small party, I guess I can make an exception."

"Rayquaza…" Latias swallowed. "I-I…"

Rayquaza waved his claw. "Just have a happy Dance, Latias."

Before Latias could say anything, the pokemon of the Garden grabbed her claws and tugged her forward. She looked back at them. The sadness from when she and Rayquaza had arrived at Alto Mare vanished from her eyes. A glow took its place, accompanied by a real grin that wasn't faked or forced. She laughed as she danced around with the pokemon, who used their abilities and the nature around them to produce a happy tune.

Rayquaza leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed. He gazed at Latias as she twirled around in the air. He could tell that she hadn't smiled like this during a Dance for a while, and the fact that he had been the one to bring it back out of her filled him with a sense of satisfaction.

He smiled softly.

She deserved it.

Rayquaza looked down when a group of pokemon gathered beneath him. They pointed at Latias and jumped around.

"What?" he asked.

"Dance!" the pokemon said.

Rayquaza's face fell. "W-what?"

"Dance," Latias said as she floated up to him. She looked away sheepishly. "The Dance of the Sun and Moon always involves a dance between two partners."

Rayquaza blinked. An actual dance? He frowned. "I don't dance."

The pokemon glared at him and pushed him toward Latias.

"Fine," he growled. "Fine! But, only for a little bit!"

The pokemon grinned, as did Latias.

The two dragons flew toward the middle of the Garden. They weren't far from the fountain that held the Soul Dew, and it seemed to shine as they met above it.

Rayquaza swallowed hard. He didn't know how to dance; it was always hard for a being with no legs. He didn't admit this, though, because he felt determined to keep that smile on Latias' face. He tried his best to follow her lead, and he took her claws in his own.

Latias let out a nervous chuckle. "I haven't done this in a while."

"Join the club," Rayquaza muttered.

Latias began to move, and Rayquaza followed. Claws together, they twirled around one another in a soothing rhythm.

"Um, Ray?"

"Hn?"

"I…" Latias shifted, uneasy. "Did you do all of this? Dress up the Garden, I mean."

"Yeah," Rayquaza said, still following her lead in their dance. "With a little help from the pokemon."

"Why did you do it?"

"You wanted to celebrate the Dance. I wanted you to be happy without humiliating myself in the process. Besides, you needed a serious reminder that even though Latios is gone, the world doesn't have to stop spinning."

Latias smiled. "T-thank you, Ray. This is beautiful. Everything's beautiful. Just…just thank you. For everything."

Rayquaza smirked. "Well, what did you expect from yours truly?"

As they continued to move around each other, Rayquaza looked down at the fountain beneath them. Beside the water, he spotted the rose that he had given Latias as a tribute to their partnership. He looked at her. Then, he reached down and grabbed the rose, and he held it up between them.

Latias' eyes softened. Gently, she reached forward and placed her claw on top of the rose's petals.

_One represents the petals..._

Rayquaza tightened his hold on the stem.

… _and the other represents the stem._

The two dragons ascended higher into the air, still twirling around one another, the rose still between them.

_Alone, neither mean anything. They're but fragments of something much greater_.

Rayquaza smirked again and looked at Latias. As he stared into her eyes – those warm, honey-colored eyes – his smirk slowly died away, a sentimental glow in his gaze.

Latias mirrored his expression.

_However, when together…They equal to something beautiful and mystifying._

Slowly, they leaned into one another. Their foreheads touched, their eyes soft. Scales caressed feathers. The tips of their snouts brushed together-

_Thump!_

"Ow!" Rayquaza hissed, his claw on his head. He pulled away and looked up – at the thick branch of the tree he had smacked into. He looked at Latias, who rubbed her neck from her own collision with the branch.

"I guess we need to watch where we're going," she said. She giggled at herself and looked at her claw, where the rose they had held was safe and sound.

Rayquaza nodded, his skull still sore. "Tell me about it."

Latias giggled again and flew down toward the fountain. She placed the rose back on its perch by the Soul Dew.

Rayquaza lowered to the ground. Pokemon surrounded him, sly smirks on their faces. He arched a brow at them. "What?" He looked up. "We were dancing when we hit our heads on the branch."

"But," said a bulbasaur, "what would've happened if you two _hadn't_ hit your heads?"

At that, the pokemon broke out into laughter.

Rayquaza frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He snorted, got up, and floated toward Latias.

The pokemon exchanged looks.

Then, they broke out into laughter again.

* * *

"So, do you like the Dance so far?"

Khan looked at Bianca. He shifted weight between his shoulders. "It's…amazing."

After he had woken up and felt well enough to walk, Bianca had taken him out to celebrate the Dance of the Sun and Moon. With the sun set and the moon dominate, Alto Mare came to life beneath the lights of its decorations and the cheers of its townspeople. Bianca explained the history of the Dance to him, invited him to try the vast array of party foods sold on the stalls all around the main plaza, and even brought him to dance with her when the music grew louder and couples began to gather.

With each hour, he found it harder to hide his interest in her. Whenever she looked at him, he hoped that it was for the same reason his heart hammered against his chest. But, she would always shake him off with a laugh, unfazed by the glances he threw at her, or how a shiver crawled up his spine when she touched him. He hated himself for this vulnerability, but he also loved every second of it.

"I'm going to go get a drink," she said when they had begun to cross the main plaza again. "You want anything?"

Khan smiled weakly. "No thanks."

"'Kay. I'll be back!"

Bianca disappeared into the crowd, and Khan fell back onto the bench behind him. He put a hand to his chest and mumbled to himself to calm down.

"Khan?"

Khan paused. Following the familiar voice, he looked behind him and into the nearby alleyway, where he saw a flash of chartreuse.

He jumped up and ran over.

"Genghis?"

"Khan!"

Genghis emerged from the darkness, his eyes filled with both relief and frustration. Khan eyed his brother's Rocket clothes, and he suddenly felt out of place.

"I've been looking for you all night and day," Genghis said. "I was worried when I saw you fall into the water."

Khan blinked. "You were…worried?"

"Listen," Genghis said, ignoring his brother, "our mission to find the Soul Dew is still active. We just need to be a little quieter from here on. Don't stand by a cop for too long. He might recognize you. Now, where've you been?"

Khan opened his mouth to say something-

"Jim?"

He paused again and turned. Past the wall of the alleyway, he saw Bianca circle the spot where she had left him, eyes searching.

"Is that that one woman?" Genghis asked.

Khan faced him. "She rescued me from the water, Genghis. She's showing me around town."

Genghis glared. "And why are you staying with her when you have a job to do?"

Khan froze. He struggled to find an answer. He couldn't tell his brother that he was in love with her. "I…" He swallowed hard. "I'm undercover again. This woman might know something about Rayquaza and Latias, so I'm trying to gain her trust."

Genghis frowned, in thought.

Then, he smirked.

"Excellent idea, Khan," he said. "It looks like you do have a brain. Yes, this is perfect! Stay with her and get close to her, so that if she does know something about Rayquaza and Latias, you can get her to tell you."

Khan nodded. His heart ached with protest to the idea, but he stifled it.

"I'll keep in contact with you in secret," Genghis added. "Don't mess this up."

"Of course."

"Good. Now, get out there. She's looking for you."

Khan turned and left. He sighed as he approached Bianca, where she met his eyes and smiled.

"Wow," she said. "I thought I'd lost you for a second. Everything okay?"

Khan forced a grin.

"Yeah…everything's just fine."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Next chap coming soon!


	13. Let It Out

Hey guys!

Really sorry for the wait on this stuff!

Special thanks to Tyraka628 for pointing out that the Latis have feathers, not fur. Haha, my bad!

As I go back to the other chapters and fix that error - along with a couple of other errors - enjoy this new chapter. :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Let It Out**

* * *

_Rayquaza smirked and looked at Latias. As he stared into her eyes – those warm, honey-colored eyes – his smirk slowly died away, a sentimental glow in his gaze._

_Latias mirrored his expression._

_Slowly, they leaned into one another. Their foreheads touched, their eyes soft. Scales caressed feathers. The tips of their snouts brushed together-_

"Rayquaza?"

Rayquaza blinked. He looked around at the golden walls of the meeting room of the Hall of Legends, which reflected the other legendaries in the room, the walls distorting them amongst their surfaces. Their conversations filled the air, loud, and invading his head so fast a wave of dizziness washed over him. One second, he had been in the Secret Garden just as he'd been last night, moving with Latias to the music and mood of the Dance of the Sun and Moon. The next, he was back in the Hall of Legends the morning after, the duties of the day having just enfolded before him in the form of the usual council meeting.

He shook his head and tried to clear it. That memory from last night kept coming back, though, melting away the meeting room once again and reminding him of the warmth that still filled him from that moment.

"Rayquaza?" said the voice again. "Earth to Rayquaza? Hello?"

He glanced to the side of him. "What? Deoxys?"

Deoxys narrowed her eyes. "I was talking about the weather for ten minutes until I realized you weren't listening. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Right." She crossed her arms. "You've been getting lost in space since you and Latias got here. Now, I'll ask again – what's on your mind?"

He looked away, trying to spot Latias amongst the crowds of legendaries. "And I'll say it again, _nothing_."

"'Nothing' my hindquarters. Did something happen last night? You never did tell me why you ran off and I had to keep Latias busy anyway."

"I...I just did something for her, alright? A gift."

"...Hold on, I think I'm having a heart attack."

Rayquaza growled. "Shaddup! We're counterparts – and counterparts can give each other gifts, right?"

"Not if they hate each other."

"I don't hate Latias."

Deoxys arched a brow. "Wow. I think that's the most sentimental thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth. I assume this gift must've done its job? I mean, Latias seem to be in a more happier mood than she's been before..."

"I guess."

She eyed him. "Did something happen during this 'gift'?"

Rayquaza swallowed. That warmth came back, spreading through him; it mimicked the feeling of Latias' feathers against his scales. Soft, comforting...He grit his teeth. _Dammit, stop it! _"Nothing happened," he said. Each word felt like a stone coming up, but he firmed his jaw, and, thankfully, Deoxys didn't seem to notice anything.

"I wonder if Ash kept that picture..." she said.

Rayquaza paused. "Ash? That human kid that keeps getting stuck in our problems?" He looked at her. "And what picture?"

"When Ash helped out during Annie and Oakley's attack on Alto Mare, Latias drew a picture of him as thanks, disguised herself as that Bianca girl with her reflection ability, and gave it to him before he left...along with a kiss on the cheek. Everyone else thinks the real Bianca did all that, but I don't think that's true from what I've heard of the incident." Deoxys chuckled. "I think Latias had a bit of a crush on Ash then. Kinda cute, when you think about it."

Rayquaza's claws curled into fists, and, at that moment, despite the many times that Ash kid had helped out the council, Rayquaza despised him. He bared his teeth. "Does Latias...still like him?"

"I don't know." Deoxys looked at him – and she blinked at his furious expression. "Rayquaza, are you alright?" She studied him. Then, she chuckled again. "Oh my...are you _jealous_?"

Rayquaza deflated. "W-what?" He glared. "I'm not jealous!"

"You're jealous! You're actually jealous!"

"_I am not jealous_!"

Deoxys laughed. "This is gold!"

Rayquaza snorted and looked away. Then, he sighed, his eyes dark.

Deoxys' gaze softened. "Rayquaza? Do you...really care about Latias?"

"As I said, I don't hate her..."

"But do you care about her? Beyond the bond all counterparts share?"

"What?" He snorted again. "As in 'like' her?"

"Love her."

His breath caught in his throat.

"Ray!" Latias emerged from the crowd and flew over, smiling. "I asked Arceus if he had any assignments for us today, but he said no. We can head back to Alto Mare now, if you want."

"Fine," Rayquaza said, trying to keep his eyes away from hers. "Let's go."

As Latias led the way, Rayquaza looked back at Deoxys. He opened his mouth to say something, perhaps deny her earlier accusation, but, for some reason, no words would come out, each word, each stone, gathered into his throat, never moving. He closed his jaw, turned away, and followed Latias out the door.

* * *

When Latias and Rayquaza returned to Alto Mare, the streets were still filled with people and pokemon, some tourists, others locals. Decorations from the Dance still covered some of the buildings around town and the shopping stalls in the town's square – a clear sign that even though the Dance was a single day in Alto Mare's calendar, many of the townsfolk still held onto it for as long as they could before they finally agreed to wait until the day came again next year.

Latias and Rayquaza flew over the town, their shadows swimming across the walkways and building rooftops, and they reached the Secret Garden shortly after. Inside, the air was as mystical as it usually was, with the ornaments and decorations for the Dance stored away for next year. Pokemon poked their heads out from their havens, acknowledging Latias and Rayquaza with smiles, as the two dragons made their way to the fountain where the Soul Dew – and the rose that symbolized their bond – were safe and sound.

Latias picked up the rose and smiled at it. "Thanks again for what you did last night, Ray."

Rayquaza said nothing. He looked at her, and he contemplated on reaching out and putting his claw on her shoulder – a more nicer way of saying "Don't mention it" without grunting in the process. But, the thought of feeling her feathers again made that warmth come back. He scolded himself, turned away, and floated over to the soft grass, curling up against a couple of trees.

"Ray?" Latias put the rose down and flew over to her counterpart. "Are you okay?"

"I'm still tired from last night," he said, short and simple. "That's all."

"Oh..."

"Something wrong?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a fly. We've just been going back and forth between Alto Mare and the Hall most of the time. I thought it'd be relaxing."

Rayquaza frowned. "If I wasn't tired, I would go."

Latias hummed thoughtfully. "Wait. I think I might have an idea."

She floated to him. Then, she softly brushed her claw against his forehead. He stiffened beneath her touch, but he eventually relaxed and closed his eyes, somewhat enjoying the feeling – until it abruptly ended. He opened his eyes, saw Latias giggle at him, and float higher into the air.

"Just stay there," she said, climbing higher and higher. "Let's see if this works."

"If what works?" he asked, but she was too far up to hear him.

He could still define her red shape against the clear, blue sky when she finally stopped. She zoomed off a second later, disappearing above the trees and ancient hallway that circled the Garden. A minute later, nothing had happened. Rayquaza rolled his eyes, and he wondered if he would have to muster up the strength to go find her. He pushed the thought away and lowered his head to the grass-

The scenario changed.

His head shot up, as the grass, trees, architecture, and the mystical atmosphere of the Secret Garden faded away, replaced by a view of the horizon, of the ocean, of the clouds above, close enough for him to reach out and touch. Beneath him, there was no land, and he stumbled in place, until he felt the air beneath him, still felt the softness of the grass, and realized he wasn't falling, still on top of an invisible landscape. He looked around. The sky flew by him as if he was flying, passing with a comforting rhythm, flying over all of Alto Mare as it bustled with life. Was this some sort of vision? Where had it come from? His claws dug into the grass that wasn't there when the view shifted, belonging to a being he couldn't control. The being increased its speed, flew toward the wall that led into the Secret Garden, and the vision cut off, the reality around Rayquaza moving back into the Garden, the grass materializing beneath him.

He looked to the side, where that being had headed in from, and Latias emerged from the wall.

She floated over to him. "Did it work?"

"You did that?" he asked. "The vision thing?"

"It did work!" Latias grinned. "It did work!"

"Was that your sight-share ability?"

"Yup. I used to do with Latios all the time, where we could share the vision with other people and pokemon, too. I thought I'd lost the ability after Latios died, but I guess I didn't!"

"I...uh..."

"Did you like it?"

Rayquaza forced a smirk. "Yeah, it was pretty cool. Nice to have when your partner feels like flying and you don't."

Latias giggled. "We'd make great sight-share partners, yeah!" She met his eyes. "I'm glad I could share it with you, Ray."

Rayquaza swallowed. "Yeah...same here." He turned away. "But, I'm still tired enough for a nap, you know."

Something soft touched his back. Slowly, he raised his head, and noticed that Latias had cuddled up against him, her feathers brushing against his scales.

He sighed.

Then, instead of pushing her away, he turned back toward her and laid his claw against her side.

She opened her eyes. She smiled.

And so did he.

* * *

"So, what kind of family do you have, Jim?"

Khan blinked and looked at Bianca, who sat beside him on the bench within Alto Mare's town square, having just shown him more unique monuments across Alto Mare. Around them, business flourished as usual, the decorations to the Dance that occurred yesterday still shining in the sunlight amongst the walls of different buildings and stalls.

He had had a good time last night with Bianca, celebrating the Dance with her, even with the feeling that Genghis watched his every move, waiting for him to convince Bianca to show him where the Soul Dew was. Though Bianca had agreed to guide him more around town after the Dance was over, seeing as how he "wasn't leaving town" yet, none of the unique monuments she'd brought him to had included the Soul Dew.

"I know you're here on your own," Bianca said. She smiled sheepishly. "I'm just being curious, though. You don't have to answer."

Khan cleared his throat, finally remembering her question. "I'm not really close to my family..."

"I see."

His emerald-colored eyes flashed. "Well, I do have a brother."

"Oh yeah?"

"His name is...Bob."

She smiled at him. "Is he as nice as you?"

Khan suppressed a blush. "Not exactly. We're not really close, either, but he's there more than our parents are. And..." He sighed. "I just wish we _were_ close."

Bianca put a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean to bring up anything. I'm sorry."

"No," he said. "It's okay." He smiled. "It's kind of nice to finally have someone I can tell this stuff to."

"What's wrong between you and your brother?"

"He just expects so much. Even when we were growing up, he wanted to be the leader, ordering me around and shunning me off if I didn't do what he said. But, since our parents weren't around much, I looked up to Bob as...being the only thing I really had, so of course I did the things he asked me to without backtalk. I didn't want to risk losing whatever we shared." Khan looked up at the sky. "Sometimes I wonder if he cares about me, though, as I care about him. All I ever wanted was to hear my brother say 'I love you.'"

"And he's never done that?"

"No."

Bianca frowned. "That sounds tough."

"I'll still stick by his side, though," Khan said. "He's still the only thing I've got..."

"You have a good heart." Bianca smiled. "And I'm sure your brother will open up to you in time. Just keep being there for him."

He looked at her. _But at what cost, _he thought. "Yeah..."

"Is there anything else you want to see, Jim?"

Khan swallowed. He had a sudden urge to cry, but he firmed his jaw, remembered his brother, and said, "Have you ever heard of the Soul Dew?"

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

This story wasn't meant to be longer than 20 chapters. So, technically, we are coming up to the end of this. I'll try my best to get this story finished before we're all dead.

See you guys next time!


	14. Heroes and Villagers

Hey guys!

Thanks for being patient!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Heroes and Villagers**

* * *

"Ray, I'm going to go out and take a fly around town!"

"Alright."

Latias smiled and floated over to Rayquaza, who curled up beneath the shade of one of the Secret Garden's larger trees. "Do you want anything while I'm out?"

"No."

"Okay!" Latias headed toward the Garden's exit. "I'll be back before sunset!"

When she left, Rayquaza shifted in place. It wasn't out of relief for her departure, but he still felt glad that he had the Garden to himself. He looked at the trees, at how the afternoon sun bled in through the leaves and branches. The earlier nap hadn't lasted long, and by the time Rayquaza had woken up, Latias had been conversing with the pokemon of the Garden, the air warm and the sky bright. It took Rayquaza a while to remember what had happened before – the conversation he had had with Deoxys at the Hall of Legends that morning, who had shared her own definition of the sensations he felt toward Latias:

"_But do you care about her? Beyond the bond all counterparts share?"_

"_What?" He snorted again. "As in 'like' her?"_

"_Love her."_

_His breath caught in his throat._

Rayquaza shook his head and uncurled himself. _I don't know, _he wanted to say. _I don't know what I feel. For once since the creation of this blasted planet, I don't know what I feel! _He wanted to say it out loud, he wanted to scream it from the rooftops, he wanted to know how all those years of solitude and pride had lost their value during the few days he'd spent with Latias. Those philosophies felt like a ball and chain now, dragging him down to the ground, where he could do nothing but stare up at the sky and wonder what really got him there in the first place. He wanted to look Arceus in the eyes and ask him how a pokemon revered by some mortals as gods couldn't even figure out his own emotions.

With a sigh, he looked up at the sky, that ball and chain as heavy as ever.

_Who does a god turn to when _he_ needs prayer?_

Mortals carved his shape into stone and considered him legendary. But, what most rarely knew was that, in the end, a legendary was still a pokemon, and a pokemon was still a living, breathing creature that occasionally didn't know what to do. He was the king of the skies in some cultures and a challenge to be conquered in others, yet here he was, feeling as lost as the rest of them. Confused. Insecure.

Lonely.

He floated over to the fountain that encased the Soul Dew. It glowed beneath the water, as bright as the stars. Latios had sacrificed himself to save Alto Mare and Latias, and he became the new Soul Dew that powered Alto Mare and provided that sense of home for all of the town's inhabitants. In the last seconds of life, Latios hadn't stepped back from the choice he'd made. He went through with it, knowing that the town needed him – that Latias needed him – and that he needed to be the counterpart he was. But, even if he hadn't been Latias' counterpart, he still would've sacrificed himself to save her, to save everyone, because a legendary was still a pokemon, and a pokemon protected the ones he loved.

Rayquaza looked back at the sky. _If something threatened Latias' life, what would I do? If I needed to sacrifice myself to save her, to save anyone, would I do it?_

Latias followed the idea that all legendaries were still pokemon. She appreciated him for being who he was, not what he was, and maybe all those mortals that prayed to him and asked for his help didn't do so because they couldn't take care of themselves or they needed a god to do their work. Maybe they just needed their own counterpart, their own someone they could trust, someone they could believe in, because all pokemon and humans needed a hero – a reason to believe.

And maybe, just maybe, he had always needed a reason to believe, too.

Rayquaza reached for the rose by the fountain.

_And Latias..._

"Never thought I'd see the great Rayquaza."

Rayquaza blinked and turned around.

A sableye stared back at him, sitting against a tree's trunk. His gemstone eyes glistened with the jewels on his thin torso, never blinking, and he held a brown, gnarled staff, short enough to suit his small stature. Despite that his purple-colored skin seemed naturally smooth and healthy, his heavy voice sounded aged.

"Who are you?" Rayquaza asked, narrowing his eyes. "I don't remember ever seeing you here."

"I am a simple traveler," the sableye said. "In all of my current years, I've seen much of the world, and I've heard many things. While most of my siblings preferred to stay in the comfort of their dark caves, I wanted to see what lay outside. I haven't stopped walking ever since." He looked around. "I have passed through Alto Mare before, but it's only now have I seen the Secret Garden. To my luck, the pokemon of the streets showed me the way, and here I am. A fascinating place. I wish I'd known about it sooner." He grinned, showing his pointed teeth. "You may call me Shaman, by the way."

Rayquaza snorted. "My pleasure."

Shaman chuckled. "While I've never actually seen you in flesh and blood, I have heard stories about you from the groups of pokemon I've encountered on my travels. The mighty legendary of the skies, Rayquaza, in the Secret Garden of Alto Mare, a sanctum that usually houses the legendary Latias and had once housed the late Latios?"

"Latias is out and about."

"I see. Well, then I may ask what you are doing here, Rayquaza? You usually reside in Hoenn, yes?"

"I'm here on special business."

"Ah," Shaman said. "This old 'mon can sense when he's crossing into the deep end of the lake. Pardon my rudeness in probing, Rayquaza. I meant you no ill will."

Rayquaza grunted. "Don't worry about it." _I've already told more pokemon than I'd like, after all. _"I appreciate the courtesy, too," he added, "but, you know, I put my pants on one leg at a time, too...if I had legs."

Shaman chuckled again. "Always enjoy a nice sense of humor!" He stood up, using his staff to balance himself. "May I see it? The Soul Dew?"

"I guess." Rayquaza floated aside. As Shaman grinned again and headed toward the fountain, Rayquaza kept a close eye on him. The Soul Dew was important, and while the pokemon that resided in the Garden could be trusted, a simple traveler could be as scheming as an obvious scoundrel.

Shaman gazed at the Soul Dew, as it glowed with life beneath the fountain's water. "The story of Latios' sacrifice for the town of Alto Mare is a tale of heroism that's spread across the world. It's an honor to stand right by his legacy. There have been many heroes for pokemon kind since the world began, and, without these heroes, who knew what would've happened? I've found myself pondering that a lot recently, what's the difference between the villagers and the heroes who save them?"

"Heroes are the ones you can trust," Rayquaza said, his eyes dark. "They're the reason to believe."

Shaman eyed him. "My, my, Rayquaza. I have heard tales about your high stature, but I've never heard that you were quite the philosopher."

Rayquaza scolded himself and looked away. "It's just something I've been hearing for a long time now."

"But, it is true," Shaman said. "Humans and pokemon grow up dreaming about bright futures and long lives. Yet, in this world we live in, terror is around every corner. Even a simple traveler like myself has had to run from the clutches of poachers, predatory pokemon, and evil humans hungry for the money I could bring them with my powers." He looked back at Rayquaza. "Nowadays, we all need a reason to believe, because as beautiful as this world is, it harnesses much anger, much greed and envy, much corrupt intentions, much arrogance..."

With the help of his staff, Shaman walked back down toward the trees. He stopped and looked back at Rayquaza. "Within every darkness, there's a light. Within every villager, there's a hero waiting to emerge, even if you can't see it yet. Within every storm, there's a reason to believe, to trust, to know what needs to be done when the chances are slim and the horizon is red." He smiled softly. "Besides, if there are thorns, then there must be roses, too."

Rayquaza looked at the rose by the fountain. Undoubtedly, Shaman had seen it while gazing at the Soul Dew. He floated over to it and picked it up, making sure to avoid the thorns that protruded from its stem. It reminded him of his thoughts, of Shaman's words, of how Latias had been during their times together, of the week they'd both agreed to share – and the very reason they had decided to do so in the first place. He'd done it to see what being a counterpart felt like, a role he originally didn't want. At the moment...

_Am I a hero or a villager?_

He still didn't know. He still didn't know if this is what he wanted. There was a hero in every villager, but not every hero could go back to being a villager, go back to the life they lived – a life that, sometimes, they preferred over the pressuring role of being someone who had to live up to everyone's trust. A role they wouldn't have to worry about, if they were alone.

_Would I sacrifice myself to save Latias? To save anyone?_

He didn't see himself to be a villager.

Yet, he didn't feel like much of a hero, either.

His jaw firmed, and he turned around to face Shaman. "But what if I don't want this-"

Shaman was gone.

Rayquaza blinked and looked around. Apart from the trees and the snoozing pokemon that lay in them, Rayquaza was alone. It was as if Shaman had disappeared into thin air. With a sigh, Rayquaza placed the rose back by the fountain, a frown on his face.

"Great, now I'm talking to myself..."

* * *

"So, you want to see the Soul Dew?"

Khan swallowed and looked away from Bianca. He couldn't lie straight to her face. He did want to see the Soul Dew, but not as a tourist curious about the town's monuments. No, he wanted to take it for Team Rocket's gain. The more he thought about his true intentions, the heavier his heart felt. He focused his eyes on the shrubbery that grew on the platform beside the bench where they sat.

They'd explored more of Alto Mare, with Bianca having explained to him the history behind the Soul Dew after he'd asked if she'd heard of it. It was quite obvious that she had beforehand, but he knew that blatantly asking where it was would raise a red flag in a heart beat. Besides, the history did fascinate him a bit – including the legendary Latias and Latios, with Latios having sacrificed himself to save the town during Annie and Oakley's attempt at stealing the Soul Drew a while back.

He sensed Genghis' eyes watching him, even though he couldn't see his brother anywhere amongst the dark alleys around them.

Khan shifted in place, and he forced himself to look at Bianca. "I would, but...I know that since the incident with Latios, everyone's hesitant to let any outsiders see the Soul Dew. So, I understand if you don't want me to..."

_If she says yes, we get the Soul Dew. If she says no, we'll get the Soul Dew anyway – and I don't want to think how Genghis will do so if she says no._

"You're right," Bianca said. "Security has been a little tight about it. At least on Latias' end."

"I understand-"

"But," Bianca added, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'll talk to her about it. If she agrees to let you see it, then you can see it."

Khan didn't know whether to grin or cry.

"I..." He swallowed again. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do." Bianca smiled. "I mean, you've been one of the more interesting tourists that's passed through here recently."

He returned the smile. "Is that a compliment?"

"Maybe."

He chuckled, which helped the ache in his chest a bit. "Well," he said, shuffling his feet awkwardly, "you're one of the more interesting people I've seen."

"Recently?"

"Ever."

Bianca blushed. "Thank you. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that." She cleared her throat and stood up. "It's getting a bit late. You want to head back to my grandpa's shop for lunch?"

"Sure."

Khan stood and walked with her. A minute later, he lagged behind slightly, watching the alleyways they passed, waiting for that flash of chartreuse or the annoyed calling of his name. When nothing appeared, he tried his best to keep up with Bianca, so it wouldn't attract her attention, but every now and then he found himself watching the alleyways again.

He sighed.

_I really wish I was just a tourist..._

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

See you guys next time!_  
_


	15. Broken Bonds

Hey guys!

Thanks for being patient! And thanks for the support!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 15: Broken Bonds**

* * *

_Rayquaza didn't see himself to be a villager._

_Yet, he didn't feel like much of a hero, either._

_His jaw firmed, and he turned around to face Shaman. "But what if I don't want this-"_

_Shaman was gone._

_Rayquaza blinked and looked around. Apart from the trees and the snoozing pokemon that lay in them, Rayquaza was alone. It was as if Shaman had disappeared into thin air. With a sigh, Rayquaza placed the rose back by the fountain, a frown on his face-_

"Rayquaza!"

Rayquaza opened his eyes. "What? What?"

Arceus blinked. "You fazed out while I was talking."

With a sigh, Rayquaza shook his head. _I gotta stop flashing-back._

As it had done yesterday, the Hall of Legends bustled with morning life, since there hadn't been any missions scheduled at the meeting. Conversations filled the air, meshing together different voices, crowds of legendary pokemon gathered beneath the lights of the meeting room. Somewhere in there, Latias shared her own stories and thoughts, lost within happy memories that hadn't been resurrected since Latios was alive. For a second, Rayquaza wondered how Latios had felt when his sister would disappear after every legendary meeting, and how he would have to find her when it was time to return to Alto Mare. Then, Rayquaza dropped those thoughts, because it probably would've just led to another flashback.

"Anyway," Arceus said, sitting atop his pedestal, as Rayquaza floated beside him, "I thought I'd ask how the temporary counterpart-ship was going. I know that it's only been a few days, yet the week you both agreed upon is almost over. From Latias, I've heard many good things, and I'm joyed by the fact. It's been a while since any of us have truly seen her return to her old self. Now, though, I'm curious about your perspective on the counterpart matter."

"It's been good."

Arceus arched a brow. "Just 'good'?" He hummed thoughtfully. "I guess that's better than the grunt I would usually get from you."

Rayquaza refrained from rolling his eyes.

"I am kidding, Rayquaza." Arceus chuckled. "I've been practicing more of that sarcasm thing you do so well."

Rayquaza grunted at that.

Chuckling again, Arceus looked back at the other legendaries. "I have been putting some thought behind the concept of a temporary counterpart-ship – more specifically the one between you and Latias. While natural born counterparts share more than just a title, temporary counterparts do not directly share the link that's said to exist between opposite elements that would otherwise need this link to maintain balance. In other words, land and sea clash together, but work together. It's the same thing with time and space, dreams and nightmares, fire and water, death and life. But, you two..." He looked at Rayquaza, who only acknowledged him with a small nod, seeming to stare off into space again. "You do not share anything but a makeshift bond. While counterpart-ship is a life devoted to sacrifice, unity, and the occasional argument, you are the embodiment of the skies, while Latias is the protector of Alto Mare. Not necessarily opposites, and not necessarily requiring the other to exist in regards to balance. Technically, a fake counterpart-ship will not truly link you two together."

Rayquaza met his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"Since I was the one to start the concept of a balanced bond with the creation of Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina, I have the ability to fuse the essences of two legendaries together to solidify a makeshift counterpart-ship into an actual one. This won't change the elements of the two pokemon into opposites, but it will link them in the way natural counterparts are linked. It will bring unity to them both, it will bring understanding, and it will allow them to maintain connection to one another, even with the event of death. It's similar to how Latios was still able to contact Latias shortly after his passing."

"Why are you bringing this up?"

"As I said" – Arceus gazed at Latias, who had just emerged from the crowd, a large smile across her face – "none of us have seen Latias truly happy in a long, long time. When she's with you, something changes, something that she was never able to achieve by being with any other legendary. Can I explain it? No. By the look of your face, Rayquaza, you probably don't know, either. She cares for you, in the way she cared for Latios. Maybe you remind her of him, or maybe you're the only one who brought light to a tunnel that's been dark for a while. I'm not sure, but I also know that you being with her has changed you a bit, too."

Rayquaza frowned. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to deny Arceus' claim. Since he'd been with Latias, he had found himself contemplating things he would have never contemplated if he had stayed out on his own.

He would've never found himself questioning whether he was a villager or a hero.

Arceus shifted. "The week is almost over. Your agreement is almost complete. However, with my ability, it doesn't have to end there. What I'm offering, Rayquaza, is the chance to make your bond with Latias permanent."

Rayquaza stumbled in place. "W-what?"

"It won't break your natural bond with Kyogre and Groudon, but it will expand that bond into Latias. You both will be connected, through life and death."

"I..." Rayquaza swallowed. _Permanently bonded with Latias? Do I want that? Do I want another bond on my hands? After all, my bond with Kyogre and Groudon is something I barely remember._

He looked at Latias, as she approached him.

_A villager couldn't handle the responsibility. A hero could, but..._

_Do I want to be a hero?_

"Hey, Ray!" Latias said, when she was close enough. "Did Arceus just tell you about the permanent bond idea?" She grinned. "He told me earlier! I think it's a great idea! What do you think?"

Rayquaza looked away from her. His eyes found Arceus, who firmed his jaw, as if still waiting for Rayquaza's decision on the idea of a permanent bond. Suddenly, the lights in the Hall were too bright. The air was too thick. The voices were too loud. Time was too fast. That simple question in his head pounded on the walls of his mind, demanding an answer.

And he didn't have an answer.

He didn't know.

With a growl, he flew past Arceus, past Latias, past the other legendaries in the room, and out the door. He didn't look back to see if anyone followed him. He heard Arceus and Latias call out his name with bewilderment, their words following him. Deoxys looked at him when he passed her down the hall, obviously just as confused as the rest of them.

But, he didn't care.

He just kept going.

* * *

Rayquaza had wanted to go for a fly, but he only found himself returning to Alto Mare. There, he entered the Secret Garden, ignored the curious eyes of the Garden's pokemon, and made his way to the fountain that held the Soul Dew.

And the rose. The rose he had given Latias as a sign of their partnership.

Pushing his frustration aside, he grabbed the rose as delicately as he could. Its petals were as red as Latias' feathers, its stem as green as his body. He wanted to open his mouth. He wanted to ask the very symbol of his bond with Latias what he truly was. A hero or a villager. The stem that supported the rose, or the thorns that needed to be cut off. But, the rose wouldn't answer. Nothing would answer.

Slowly, a petal dropped off the rose and fell into the fountain. It floated on the surface, swaying to the rhythm of the running water.

Rayquaza looked back at the rose. _Roses...if they're not taken care of, they die. When they die, the stem grows weak, and the petals shrivel and fall. A villager can't take care of a rose. Only a hero can._

_This rose is dying...what does that say about who I am?_

_What does that say about Latias and I?_

_Much like this rose, maybe this bond wasn't meant to be. Maybe this needs to stop now._

_Maybe I'm not a hero._

"Rayquaza?"

Rayquaza turned. Latias floated by the entrance into the Garden, her eyes bright with worry. Rayquaza's palm enclosed around the rose's stem. Its thorns dug into his scales. The more he stared at Latias, the more he regretted holding the rose; but, at the same time, he couldn't let go. He didn't want to let go, and at the same time he did. Latias, silent, slowly floated closer, and she opened her mouth:

"Why'd you leave the Hall so fast? Is something wrong?" Her ears pushed back against her head. "I was worried you took off somewhere else, but a voice inside of me told me you were here, so I followed it."

Rayquaza laughed. A dry, forced laugh. "A voice inside of you? Do you believe in tauros crap all the time?"

Latias pulled back, hurt flashing across her face. "Ray? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he hissed. "Nothing you should waste time worrying about anyway. Last time I checked, we're not official counterparts. We don't have to care about each other."

"Ray-"

"Why don't you stop caring so much about other pokemon? Why don't you start caring about your own hide?"

"I'm not like that," Latias said, her voice calm against his. "You know that, Ray. Why are you acting like this? Did something happen?"

Rayquaza growled, his claws tightening around that rose again. He turned away from her, his red teeth bared, but he said nothing.

"Is it the idea of the permanent counterpart bond?" Latias asked. "Is it about that?"

"So naive..." Rayquaza closed his eyes. "Why are you so naive? Other people took Latios away from you, yet you welcome all strangers with open arms, leaving yourself exposed to more stabs in the back. And what do you do? You cry about Latios, and you keep crying about Latios. You say this has helped you? Well, where's the proof? Not talking about him for one day doesn't change the fact that you'll just bring him up again tomorrow!"

"Ray-"

"You're a villager! You're always the one who needs saving, never the one who saves! And I'm..." He firmed his jaw. "I'm not a hero. I don't want this responsibility. I was curious about what it was like to have a counterpart, and I have my answer. It's a burden. It's a job. It's a role Latios had – a role I don't want. I've watched my own hide for centuries now, and that's not going to change! I'm not a hero! And this rose, this rose is dying for that very reason! This deal between us? It's over!"

"Ray!" Latias said, her voice shaky. "What do you mean? Why are you saying all of this? Why won't you tell me what's really wrong?"

With that, Rayquaza glared at her:

"_Because I'm not a weakling like you!_"

Latias' jaw dropped. Her eyes grew wet. She stared at Rayquaza as if he had crushed her heart right in front of her. Amidst the silence, the pokemon of the garden hid away in their dens, like children caught in the middle of an argument between their parents. None of them said a word.

"Ray..." Latias swallowed, shattering that silence like a broken mirror. "I...I thought. You...you were the one pokemon that truly listened to me, and I..." She looked at him, with those glossy eyes. "I loved you."

Rayquaza tore his gaze away from her. "I'm not a hero," he said, his voice softer. "And I'm sorry I made you think that I was."

With the rose in hand, he flew into the air. He disappeared beyond the treetops, into the sky above.

Latias didn't follow him.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Looks like Rayquaza finally snapped. But, it was something that's been building from the beginning, hidden under all of these changes he's had to endure. I guess you can say he's a bit neophobic.

Anyway, see you guys next time!


	16. Stolen

Hey guys!

Enjoy the next chapter! :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Stolen**

* * *

Latias sniffed, burying her snout beneath her wing, her tears soaking the feathers and the grass she lay on. The Secret Garden was dark – darker than usual – and even though the sun was still in sight through the canopies of the trees, she paid no heed to it, feeling as cold as if it was night. She heard the concerned growls of the pokemon that resided in the Garden, their footfalls faint against the ground as they gathered around her. She lifted her head and looked at them, her eyes wet and burning, but she only shook her head.

Rayquaza was gone.

_Because I'm not a weakling like you!_

His voice filled her head, snapping at the confines of her thoughts. Those seven words were louder than her sobs, louder than the footfalls of the other pokemon, louder than the words of comfort they gave her. Yet, he was gone, probably as far as Hoenn by now.

"He's right," she said. "I _am_ a weakling. If I had been stronger..." She swallowed, more tears threatening to fall. "If I'd been stronger, then Latios might still be alive."

The pokemon glanced at one another. Their gazes darkened. One opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find anything to say. He sighed, staring at the ground.

Latias looked toward the fountain that held the Soul Dew. The rose that symbolized her relationship with Rayquaza was gone; Rayquaza had taken it with him. All that was left was the single petal that had fallen from it. It still floated in the water, following the rhythm of the Soul Dew. Alone, frail, a remnant of something much greater that'd been left behind. For being weak. "I'm sorry," she said, to the other pokemon, to herself, to Rayquaza. "I'm sorry for not being a hero, either."

With that, she got up and flew out of the Secret Garden, disappearing behind the water-like wall.

* * *

"It's just this way," Bianca said, crossing the alleyway. She waved at Khan to follow, and she lead him through the buildings, beyond the bustling streets of Alto Mare, and into the darker sections of the town, where life was scarce and the air was quiet.

Khan looked around, at the buildings that surrounded them. He frowned. _Genghis and I...we've crossed this place before. Is there something we missed when we were looking for the Soul Dew?_

"Latias should be around here," Bianca said. "Hang on a second, Jim."

Khan nodded. He watched as Bianca approached a wall – the dead end to the series of structures that had paved the way to this point. He arched a brow. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Bianca looked back at him and smiled.

His heart soaring, he said nothing else. He just watched.

Bianca reached out for the wall-

A red shape flew from it, the wall morphing, as if it was water something had just burst out of. Bianca jumped back, but she calmed when the red shape slowed to look at her, the wall stilling behind them.

Khan's eyes widened, his gaze switching between the wall and the red shape.

_Latias!_

The legendary pokemon, Latias, gazed at Bianca, her eyes red. As if she'd been...crying? Bianca opened her mouth, as if to introduce her to Khan, but she stopped when she noticed Latias' expression, her own brows knitting with concern. "Latias, what's wrong?" she asked.

Latias said nothing.

Khan backed up when Latias floated past Bianca and toward the alleyway, where he stood. Latias' eyes crossed him, wet and red. She stared, but then she looked away and flew forward, disappearing behind the buildings. Khan exhaled; he hadn't even realized he'd held his breath.

"That was weird," Bianca said. "I've never seen her that sad in a while."

"Maybe..." Khan frowned. "Maybe you should go check up on her?"

"Yeah. I should." She met his eyes. "Do you want to head back to Grandpa's shop? I'll be there after I sort things out with Latias, and I'll show you the Soul Dew some other time."

"Sure."

Bianca nodded and headed down the alleyway.

Khan followed. But, when they reached the end of the alleyway, he stopped, quiet enough to where Bianca didn't notice. She ran ahead, after Latias, and Khan looked back toward the wall where Latias had emerged from. He firmed himself. Then, he made his way back down the alleyway and toward the wall.

_A secret entrance, _he thought. _That's why Genghis and I never found it on our own. This has to be where the Soul Dew is!_

Khan reached out to touch the wall. He stopped, his hand suspended, and he sighed, images of Bianca filling his head. But, he forced himself to walk into the wall, its water-like surface morphing around him.

* * *

_Because I'm not a weakling like you!_

Rayquaza closed his eyes. Around him, the voices of the various pokemon that existed within the forests not far from Alto Mare crowded the air – breaking the silence he wished existed. But, since he'd left Alto Mare with Latias' tearful face in his mind and the dying rose in his claw, he couldn't bring himself to fly back to the Hoenn region. No, he had only been able to come this far before he lowered into the trees, seeking sanctuary to clear his thoughts.

He looked at the rose. Some of its petals were missing now, having fallen off during his departure from Alto Mare. Slowly, he brushed the tip of his nail against another petal, somewhat amazed that it didn't break away from the pressure. Though the rose was dying, it was still strong in other places, as if to mimic the philosophy of not going down without a fight, as if to hold on 'til the very end.

Rayquaza sighed, and he wondered how he'd gotten himself stuck in this mess.

But, he wasn't a hero. He was never a hero. There was no changing that. If Latias needed to know the truth before she could finally move on, then so be it. At least there were no more lies, no more false senses of security, no more promises he knew he wouldn't be able to keep. No more hides to look after, none other than his own.

His brows furrowed, and he looked away from the rose. _Who knows what Arceus will do if he finds out about this? And, Latias...what'll happen between us now? I...I did the right thing, didn't I?_

Another petal fell off from the rose, like those tears had fallen from Latias' eyes after he left her.

_I loved you_, she had said to him.

His breath caught in his throat at the idea. Then, he pushed it back, and he sighed again.

_It's better to be alone_, he thought. _That way, you can't hurt anyone...and no one can hurt you._

But, if he was alone now, then why did it still hurt?

"Rayquaza?"

Rayquaza blinked and looked at the bushes in front of him. Out of it came a sableye with a short, gnarled staff. "Shaman?" Rayquaza asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that," Shaman said. He stepped forward, using his staff for support. His gemstone eyes glinted in the faint sunlight that bled in through the trees. "I'm simply continuing my travels. You, though...away from Alto Mare? Have you completed that 'special business' you told me about before?"

"I...uh..." Rayquaza looked away. "Somewhat."

Shaman hummed thoughtfully and sat down on the moss-covered ground. His staff rested across his lap. He looked at Rayquaza's claws, his mouth slightly opening, revealing those pointed teeth. "That rose," he said. "You might want to stick it in some water. It's looking a little frail."

"Doesn't matter." Rayquaza glanced at the rose, having almost forgotten he still held it. "It's too late to save."

"Is something on your mind, Rayquaza? I don't even expect such pessimistic thoughts from you. Then again, I've only known you through stories and such – stories that change with each pair of ears they pass through." Shaman tilted his head. "Do you mind sharing, if it's not in the deep end of the lake this old 'mon shouldn't be crossing?"

"I'm just thinking, that's all. I'm thinking about..." Rayquaza frowned. "I'm thinking about what you said. Before, I mean."

"Yes?"

"Heroes and villagers. What makes a hero and what makes a villager. And..." Rayquaza looked at the rose. "What do you do if you don't know which one you are."

Shaman nodded. "Ah, a question that crosses many pokemon minds at a certain time in life. I've asked myself that, too, whether I'm a hero or a villager. I'm not the sort to save a whole town from an evil dragon, but I can also handle myself pretty well. So, what does that make me?"

"Why you asking me? I don't even know which one I am..."

"Exactly."

Rayquaza blinked. "What?"

"You don't know which one you are." Shaman grinned. "It's something I've realized myself. As I said, there's a hero in every villager, but what you are isn't determined by what you call yourself. It's determined by what you do, when you do it."

"I...what?"

Shaman chuckled. "Consider this. A small bulbasaur witnesses the burning of a forest haven. He knows that innocent pokemon are within those shrubs, trapped beneath the flames and smoke. He knows that they won't be able to get out on their own. The only thing that can save them is if someone rushes in to rescue them. Now, if that bulbasaur was in any other situation, what would you call him?"

"A...villager?"

"Why?"

"Well, he's small, and he probably doesn't even know any attacks that could help with forest fires. How can he be a hero?"

"I see your perspective, but think of this, too: The bulbasaur, despite knowing how the flames could kill him, too, rushes into those shrubs, challenging death and chance by what he knows is the right thing to do. He rushes in, and he saves those pokemon, and in a matter of seconds a soul that many would consider a mere villager becomes a hero to hundreds – a tale to be passed down with time."

"But-"

"He called himself a villager," Shaman added, "because that's what he thought he was. But, when it came to a moment where a hero was needed, he did what he had to do. 'Hero' and 'villager' aren't labels to slap onto someone's forehead. They're pieces of the same puzzle; they work together as the sun and moon do, because, in the end, they're the same person. Am I a villager or a hero? To some, I'm a villager. To others, I'm a hero. However, it doesn't matter what I am, it matters who I am, and I believe in myself enough to know that if something threatens the life of someone I love, I'm ready to push away every single ounce of fear I have to make sure that that person is safe."

Rayquaza said nothing. He only looked at the rose.

"Every one is a hero to someone," Shaman said. "What you do for yourself – what you see yourself as – is something that'll die with you. But, the things you do for others, who you're willing to be when they need help, is something that's immortal. With that..."

He got up and walked over to the rose. He picked up one of the petals that had fallen to the ground and placed it on top of the petals that were still connected to the stem.

"That something never dies," he said. "It's a bond that can never be broken, even if it seems that all the pieces have blown away in the wind. A bond isn't established by an item – by a 'what'. It's established by a 'who', by who keeps that bond alive when everything else falls apart."

Rayquaza opened his mouth. But, again, he said nothing. He stared at the rose, at the fallen petal Shaman had recovered. Gently, he cupped the side of the petals that were still attached. They were soft, just like Latias' feathers. Below was the stem, thorny, hard, but needed in order for the rose to grow. Even with how the rose fell apart, the stem stayed close, never detaching, never leaving. Just there.

"I..." he said, and he looked up. "I think I understand."

Shaman was gone.

Rayquaza blinked. Then, he growled. "Again, old 'mon? Will stop disappearing while I'm talking!"

No one answered back, but Rayquaza swore he could hear the faint chuckle of a sableye, echoing from beyond the trees.

* * *

The Secret Garden amazed Khan, more in the sense of how easily it remained hidden from the naked eye. Even though the Garden itself couldn't have been situated far from Alto Mare, anything that passed over the trees didn't seem to notice its existence. It was as if it was only noticeable by beings who knew of the entrance, or by beings who came from the Garden. Either way, Khan scolded himself when he realized he had spent fifteen minutes staring at the stone walls and statues placed across the grassy fields.

He made his way across the Garden, following the sounds of running water. He passed by small pokemon that gazed at him curiously from their dens in the trees and shrubs. With an assuring smile, he managed to brush away any sense of suspicion they had, though some still followed him with their eyes, hidden away in the canopies.

When he reached the fountain at the top of one of the Garden's staircases, he swallowed, watching as the object he and Genghis had searched for all this time rested in front of him. The Soul Dew. Colors of blue and white swirled around within it, as it thrived beneath the fountain's running waters. He opened the cage and reached for it-

A growl made him jump. He turned – and met the large eyes of a yanma, dark with anger. Its wings flapped quickly, with a semblance of tension. Behind it, the other pokemon of the Garden gathered, grunting at him.

Khan bit his lip. _Crap! If these pokemon were here when Annie and Oakley stole the Soul Dew, they probably don't take too well to strangers anymore._

Slowly, he reached for the pokeball in his pocket – the pokeball that belonged to his rhyperior. As he fingered it, he raised the other hand in mock surrender. "I-I'm a friend," he said. "I know Bianca. She told me I can come look at the Soul Dew."

The pokemon only snarled. They moved closer.

"Honest!" Khan said, backing up, the edge of the fountain digging into his side. "I'm a friend of Bianca's. I'm her friend..."

He trailed off, because the more he said those words, the heavier his heart felt. He was lying, as he had lied to Bianca, a person who didn't deserve such a thing. She didn't deserve losing her town. She didn't deserve getting hurt. She didn't deserve to be a victim of Team Rocket's greed.

She didn't deserve any of this.

"I..." Khan closed his eyes and turned toward the fountain. "I can't do this."

He closed the gate.

The pokemon blinked and glanced at one another-

"You might not be able to do it," said a voice, echoing across the Garden. "But I can."

Khan whirled around – and he saw Genghis staring at him from across the stone platform, his electivire right behind him. Genghis grinned deviously, his cobalt-colored eyes darkening, and he walked toward the fountain.

"Wonderful work, Khan," Genghis said. "I honestly thought you wouldn't be able to convince that girl to at least put you in the right direction of the Soul Dew. But, here you are. You've managed to lead us both right to it. I would say I'm proud, but the idea that you were about to back away doesn't appeal to me all that much."

Khan glared. "You followed me?"

"You're surprised?"

"Well, no, but I-" Khan shook his head. "I _do_ want to walk away. This is stupid, brother! What's the point of stealing this stone anyway? Does Giovanni even want it? If he still wanted it, he would've sent more than just us to get it!"

Genghis laughed. "You're so stupid, Khan."

With a snap of his fingers, Genghis sent his electivire forward. The pokemon raised his arms and unleashed a thunderbolt attack, practically clearing away the pokemon that had gathered in front of Khan, knocking them off the platform and toward the waters and grass below. Genghis stepped through the smoke and up to his brother.

"Move aside, Khan," he said. "It's time I claimed what's mine."

"We didn't come here to get the Soul Dew for Giovanni," Khan hissed. "We came here because you wanted it for yourself!"

"Brilliant deduction. Maybe you're not so stupid after all. Soft, but not stupid. Unfortunately" – Genghis snapped his fingers again, and his electivire seized Khan – "there's no room for softness in this mission either, Khan. I'm afraid you're just getting in my way."

"Stop! Genghis!" Khan struggled against Electivire's hold. "Please, don't do this!"

"Khan, shut up."

Genghis lifted his sleeve. Over the burn on his arm he'd received from the houndoom attack a few days ago, a strange machine glowed with life against his skin. Team Rocket's logo was emblazoned on the side; it was obviously a contraption Genghis had ordered from the organization's personal factories. "Originally a type of portable pokemon center," he said, "but I've made a few tweaks to it."

He stepped toward the fountain, opened the cage, and grabbed the Soul Dew. The colors inside flashed beneath his touch, and Genghis took a moment to laugh, admiring the object as he held it in his palm. Then, he placed the Soul Dew into the pokeball-like socket within the machine on his arm. The machine glowed brighter, until a red-colored light seemed to burst from it. This light bled into the Soul Dew, and the colors of white and blue that swirled inside of it slowly grew red and black with corruption.

Genghis laughed harder, as the new colors of the Soul Dew shot out from the orb, spreading across the trees and along the ground. The force of the power blew at his chartreuse-colored hair and Rocket clothes, and Khan had to look away from the intensity of the light.

"This is my world now!" Genghis called from over the Soul Dew's roars. "This is my power! Team Rocket will now bow down to me!"

The sound of an explosion filled the air. Khan looked back – and he saw large sections of stone that had consisted the Garden's bordering wall break off from their foundation and fly toward Genghis. These pieces then gathered in front of Genghis, building on top of one another, the red- and black-colored essence of the Soul Dew fusing the pieces together like cement. These pieces continued to come, until they had formed a pokemon-like shape – a luxray – which was as tall as the trees' canopies, reaching past the top of the Garden, its limbs as mobile as if it was real. The corrupted essence of the Soul Dew glowed in the form of lines across the statue's stony flesh, painting patterns and filling in its makeshift eye sockets with red orbs and its solid jaw with defined fangs.

Genghis, still grinning, looked up at the stone luxray. The essence of the Soul Dew had painted similar lines across his flesh, also filling in his once cobalt eyes with the color of blood.

"My creation," he said. He raised his arm – the arm with the machine and the Soul Dew – and the stone luxray opened its mouth, dust crumbling from its stone flesh. "Obey me, my beast! Together, we will be kings!"

The luxray reared its head up and roared, its voice shaking the ground.

Khan fell to his knees beneath it all, his words barely above a whisper.

"Bianca, I'm sorry..."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

See you guys next time!


	17. It Is Time

Hey guys!

Sorry for the wait! Hope you enjoy the read!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 17: It Is Time**

* * *

"What is _that_!"

Latias raised her head from her arms, her eyes still wet. With an arched brow, she looked down from the rooftop of the building she lay on. In the streets, multiple humans and pokemon rushed in the direction opposite of the Secret Garden. She recognized Bianca in the midst of the mayhem, whose face paled at the sight of whatever was behind them. Latias followed her eyes.

A large figure rose in the distance, breaking through the building walls that had concealed the Garden. It looked like a luxray, with wide, red eyes and a mouth that snapped with scarlet fangs. It shook its mane, carved into its stone body, defined with that same red color, and it roared. Its voice shook the ground, provoking more screams from the townspeople – and stabbing at Latias with a cold, invisible knife.

"No..." she said, getting up. "No."

_Someone has the Soul Dew!_

"No!"

She flew toward the luxray, ignoring Bianca's cries for her.

* * *

"So much power!" Genghis laughed, his red eyes bright, as he stood on the head of his luxray. The Soul Dew glowed black and crimson from the machine on his arm, sending power along the matching lines painted across his skin. He looked out over Alto Mare, at the people and pokemon who had already begun to flee from him. "Run," he yelled to them. "Run, but you won't get far!"

Genghis lunged. As if the luxray mirrored his very movements, it leaped forward, slamming down onto another building, crushing it beneath its claws. Dust and debris filled the streets, as alleyway pokemon struggled to escape from the luxray's reach. With more steps, Genghis led the luxray through the streets, where it destroyed buildings and ships docked at the town's various harbors. People and pokemon ran from it, the air filled with their cries of terror, while others attempted to fight back, only to be forced to retreat when the luxray used its hyper beam to blow away more chunks of the town.

"Genghis!" Khan called out, still trapped within the hold of Electivire, who used one of the luxray's large ears to balance against its movements. Even though his brother was so close, Khan felt like he was millions of miles away, only able to watch this hunger for power corrupt the one member of his family he still had. "Genghis! Stop this! It doesn't have to be this way!"

"And why not?" Genghis looked at him. "What did Team Rocket have to offer us? A boss that would take every ounce of true glory we could ever obtain? That's not the life for me, brother. In fact, I think this is the perfect time to show who's the real boss!"

Khan shook his head. "Just like before," he said, more to himself than to Genghis. "You always wanted to be the leader, brother. I just can't believe it took me this long to figure out that it was never to protect me."

At that, Genghis' face fell. For one split second, his corrupted countenance melted away, as if it had never been there. But, just as fast, it returned, and Genghis snorted, turning away from Khan. "Shut up, Khan-"

A green beam struck the luxray in the side of its face. It reared back, its eyes fading in and out, pieces of stone crumbling away from the area. Genghis stepped back as well, holding the side of his own face, as if he had felt the same pain the luxray had felt.

Khan looked ahead.

Latias roared, shooting toward them. She opened her mouth and fired another dragonbreath, hitting the luxray in the arm.

More pieces of stone fell off, like sections of dented armor, but with a wave of his arm, Genghis used the Soul Dew to restore the pieces back to their rightful places. "I was wondering when you'd show up," Genghis said. He raised his other arm and swung in Latias' direction. The luxray mimicked and hit Latias with its claw, sending her toward the ground.

"Latias!"

Bianca appeared from the near alleyway and ran over to Latias, who shivered against the dent she'd made in the cobblestone street.

The blood drained from Khan's face.

Genghis grinned. "Look who it is, brother. Your little girlfriend." At Khan's surprised expression, Genghis added, "Don't think I never saw how you looked at her. You're pitiful, brother, almost choosing her over your own blood. Haven't you ever heard of the phrase 'pals before gals'?"

"Don't you dare do anything to her!" Khan hissed.

"And if I do? What are you gonna do? In case you're too slow to have noticed by now, brother, I'm the one with the giant luxray and the Soul Dew. There is nothing you can do!"

The luxray stepped closer to Bianca and Latias, the ground shaking beneath its steps.

* * *

Latias opened her eyes. At first, she saw the tearful expression of Bianca, who cradled her against her body. Secondly, she saw the stone luxray from before, towering over them, obscuring the sun, to where the red lines that covered its skin seemed brighter than before. From atop its head stood a green-haired man, the Soul Dew thriving from a machine on his arm, corrupted. Latias' heart ached, along with the rest of her body. Being so close to the Soul Dew now, she could feel the pain within the orb, as Latios' essence struggled beneath the man's control.

"Any last words?" the man said, a wicked smile on his face, the luxray growling with his words. "Any last words before I prove how mortal legendaries really are?"

Exhaling, Latias closed her eyes, and she focused.

* * *

Rayquaza stared at the silent forest around him. Then, he stared at the rose in his claw, as it withered away, the petals falling to the ground.

"_That something never dies_," Shaman had said, before his departure. "_It's a bond that can never be broken, even if it seems that all the pieces have blown away in the wind. A bond isn't established by an item – by a 'what'. It's established by a 'who', by who keeps that bond alive when everything else falls apart._"

"A bond that never dies," Rayquaza said. "A bond between heroes and villagers, because we're all the same person. Latias and I...she needs me, just as much as I need her."

A pokemon cry that rang though the forest brought Rayquaza back to reality. He looked up and noticed that a few flying pokemon had gathered on the branches of a tall tree not far from him, gazing in the direction of Alto Mare. Rayquaza floated up to look over the trees.

Smoke rose from the distant sight of the town.

Rayquaza gasped.

Then, the world around him changed. The forest faded away. Around him lay the crumbling buildings of Alto Mare, as if he stood right in the center of the town. In front of him was that human girl he had met a few days ago, the girl who was friends with Latias. Bianca. Bianca looked at him with tears in her eyes, seeming to cradle his body, while, in front of them, stood a large luxray carved out of stone, with red lines painted across its skin and a green-haired man atop its head, the corrupted energies of the Soul Dew thrashing around from his arm.

"Latias," Bianca said, shaking Rayquaza. "Latias, wake up!"

_Latias?_ His eyes widened. _This must be Latias' sight-share ability. This means that what I'm seeing is..._

"Oh no," he said, the blood draining from his face. He broke free from the vision. The forest returned around him, along with the view of Alto Mare in the distance, burning. "Latias!" he called out. "Latias! I'm coming!"

Rayquaza flew toward Alto Mare, leaving the forest – and the frail rose – behind.

* * *

Latias opened her eyes. With a growl, she got back into the air, despite Bianca's protests. She met the green-haired man's eyes.

"You got some spunk in you," he said, from atop the luxray's head. "I like that. Too bad you stand in my way. Do you think you can combat the power of the Soul Dew? It has the essence of your very kind within it. Fight fire with fire, and you'll get burned!" He opened his mouth.

The luxray followed. In the back of its throat, flames burned brightly.

Latias gasped, grabbed Bianca, and flew to the side – right before the luxray unleashed its flamethrower, engulfing the street in fire. Buildings, benches, and stalls burned, adding more power to the juggernaut-like smoke tower that already hovered above the town.

The luxray looked at Latias and Bianca.

"Let's play chase!" the man said.

Latias, her arms still around Bianca, took off down the street, maneuvering through flames and crumbling buildings. The luxray, right behind her, fired beams at her whenever she tried to escape to the sky. She lowered to the ground, using the remains of the town as cover. Bianca squirmed against her, crying out whenever they made a sharp turn – and whenever the luxray jumped in front of them, proving that no matter what they did, it had them cornered.

"There's my workout for the day," the man said, after the luxray had trapped Latias and Bianca once again. "But enough of this child's play. Let's end this while the day's still young."

Latias' ears folded against her head. She floated away from the luxray until her back touched the wall of a near building. Bianca shook, and Latias held her close.

The luxray opened its mouth-

"Hey! Dirtbag!"

The luxray stopped, as the man looked up.

"Pick on someone your own size!" Rayquaza hissed, flying toward him. He fired a hyper beam, which struck the luxray, causing it to stumble away from Latias and Bianca.

"Ray!" Latias said.

The man snarled, as the luxray regained its balance, shaking loose rocks and dust from its shoulders. "You," the man said. "I was wondering when you'd show your ugly mug, too!"

"Ugly?" Rayquaza snorted. "Who's the one wearing red and white with green hair? Ew."

Despite that humans couldn't understand pokemon speak, the man could still tell that it'd been an insult. The man lunged forward, and the luxray pounced. Rayquaza dodged it, and the luxray whizzed past him, crashing into a group of department buildings.

With that, Rayquaza flew toward Latias, where he helped get Bianca to the ground.

"Ray," Latias said, still shaken. "Y-you came."

Rayquaza met her eyes. "Latias, I-"

"Guys!" Bianca pointed.

Latias and Rayquaza turned. From the rubble, the luxray stepped out, the ground shaking beneath its steps. The man on top of its head growled, the luxray mimicking it.

Latias looked at Rayquaza.

He looked at her.

"Time to be heroes," he said, a smirk on his face.

She simpered, nodded, and they both faced the luxray.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Short chapter, but I thought that that would be a good place to end it.

See you guys next time!


	18. Until the Day I Die

Hey guys!

Enjoy the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Until the Day I Die**

* * *

Rayquaza felt his back hit something hard, where he fell through and into a dark room beyond. Only when the brick walls caved in did he realize it had been a building. _An empty building, thankfully_. He shook dust and pieces of broken furniture from his head and shoulders, cringing when an electric shock surged up his back – remains of the hyper beam the stone luxray had used to send him here in the first place. A roar from outside reminded him how long he and Latias had tried to fend off the green-haired man who had stolen the Soul Dew. The man's power seemed to grow with more time; Rayquaza grit his scarlet-colored teeth at the thought of the man enslaving the world beyond Alto Mare, destroying everything in his path, and...and hurting Latias.

With a groan, Rayquaza found the strength to push himself from the building's rubble. He flew back into the smoke-filled air of the city, close enough to feel the heat of the fires that ate away at the evacuated streets. Not too far off, the colossal luxray swatted at Latias with stone claws, glowing with the red lines that drew patterns along its hard flesh. The lines all led up to the green-haired man that stood on top of the luxray's head, the corrupted Soul Dew flashing brightly from the machine on his arm. Like a puppeteer, he directed the luxray with his own body, waving his arms, in which the luxray mimicked his movements with its forelegs.

Latias fired a dragon pulse attack from between her claws, which struck the luxray in the shoulder. Chunks of stone broke away, crashing onto the ground. The luxray reared back, as if it had felt the pain – as did the green-haired man. But, just as fast as it had cried out with a live roar, the man lunged forward, leading the luxray to pounce toward Latias, cornering her against another building.

"Latias!" Rayquaza opened his jaw, powered a hyper beam from the back of his throat, and shot it at the luxray. The attack hit its side. The luxury stumbled, almost falling over, and as the green-haired man hissed at it to regain its balance, Rayquaza zoomed past it and to Latias' side. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Latias said, panting. The seriousness in her honey-colored eyes – it was such a contradiction to their usual glow that Rayquaza felt somewhat stunned – spread across the rest of her feathered face, showing both the aches of battle that plagued her and her determination to take more in the name of protecting Alto Mare. "But we've been fighting for at least an hour! With every attack we do, it just keeps getting up again! And we can't get to the Soul Dew on that man's arm if he has that luxray blocking every attempt we make!"

Rayquaza glanced at the luxray, which now healed itself by recovering the pieces of stone broken away from its body and restoring them to their rightful places, the corrupted essence of the Soul Dew enclosing around them like blood-covered hands.

"At least Bianca and the rest of the townspeople have been evacuated and are safe," Latias said.

"They won't be for long," Rayquaza said, looking at her, "if we can't get the Soul Dew back." He growled with frustration. "I can't contact Arceus telepathically. Whatever abilities that man is harnessing from the Soul Dew, its powerful enough to even block our connection with Arceus."

"And you're the only other legendary I ever performed sight-share with," Latias added, her ears flattening against her head. "So I can't contact anyone outside with that, either."

"It really is just the two of us, then..."

Latias met Rayquaza's eyes.

As if to shake away any doubts on the topic, Rayquaza firmed his jaw. "We fight for as long as we can."

Latias nodded.

The two dragons flew up into the air, and, hyper beams building in their throats, they charged toward the luxray.

* * *

"These guys are persistent," Genghis muttered; the red lines that ran along his skin and through his eyes, bleeding down into the luxray below him, glowed dark with obvious anger. "You are fools to challenge me!" he roared.

Khan flew back against the luxray's ear when Genghis made the stone beast jump to the side to avoid the two dragons' attacks. It crushed a building beneath its claws, and Khan cringed at the thought of what might have been in that building. Even though he knew that the citizens of Alto Mare had been evacuated to somewhere safer, he couldn't help but wonder if a lone soul, still within the city for whatever reason, had been caught in the battle commencing between his brother and Rayquaza and Latias. He thought of Bianca, regardless of how he had seen Latias carry her off to the city's gates before returning to fight his brother earlier. He remembered how Bianca had caught his eyes as she soared through the air in Latias' arms – that flash of recognition, the paling of her beautiful face, because she saw him standing right next to the man that threatened her city and the world beyond it, and she probably had wondered how that man had found the location of the Secret Garden, with all those connections eventually leading back to Khan.

She would figure out what he really was. _Who_ he really was.

And she would look at him with the same disgust that his brother looked at him with, that look of failure.

_Because that's all I am._

He limped against the hold of Genghis' electivire, and he closed his eyes as he felt the luxray move to swipe at Latias and Rayquaza. Cries of pain slashed through the air, through the crumbling of Alto Mare's buildings and the cackling of the fires that consumed them, and Khan opened his eyes to see that the hyper beams Rayquaza and Latias had used had done no good. Instead, Genghis had led the luxray right through them, slamming Rayquaza and Latias to the ground with a headbutt.

The two dragons groaned from the cobblestone street. Even from this high in the air, Khan could see the wounds on their body. They were tired; though they were legendaries, they were still pokemon, and each of Genghis' attacks weakened them more and more. With more than an hour of fighting on their hands, the fact that they had survived this long surprised Khan. Legendaries were more powerful than regular pokemon – that was obvious – but the energies of the Soul Dew, which had been the driving force of the destruction all around him, had to rival their strength in some way, perhaps even more. After all, it was the core of the city, and Genghis' dark intentions had only twisted it to be the center of his mad desire to control the world, something that Team Rocket would never give him.

Down there, on the ground, Rayquaza and Latias looked so beaten. Yet, they continued to fight side by side, as if they were partners in death. For a second, Khan imagined Bianca in their place, and just like with her he knew that they didn't deserve such a fate as this.

"Time to end this," he heard his brother say.

Genghis opened his mouth. The luxray followed. In the back of its throat, it channeled the bright energy of a hyper beam – a hyper beam stronger than its previous ones, with how Khan could feel the power from his position.

And a sick, sudden realization hit Khan like a bullet.

_He's going to kill them._

* * *

Rayquaza groaned and opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the stone luxray, looming over them, a hyper beam building in its throat that he could feel. He had to move. He had to get away from it, but he couldn't find the strength. His head dropped against the ground, the side of his face laying against the cold stones, and his brows rose when he saw Latias right next to him, pushing herself back up into the air with everything she had.

She looked up at the luxray, with an expression in her eyes that Rayquaza struggled to read. It was an expression of rebellion, of sadness, of acceptance.

"Latias..." Rayquaza said.

"There," she said, speaking as fast as her breathless state would let her, as she pointed at the energies that continued to build in the back of the luxray's throat. "If we want to destroy this thing we need to hit it there, in the core, while it's still charging."

At that moment, Rayquaza felt as if he stared at a completely different legendary. But, at the same time, he could tell that this was the real Latias talking, the same Latias who would give her life to protect Alto Mare.

"That's suicide," Rayquaza said. "If you attack it while it's charging head on..." He had to shake his head at the thought. "That's suicide!"

Latias smiled weakly at him. "That's my duty. Just like Latios would have done."

Rayquaza's mouth hung open. He wanted to scold her for even thinking of the idea, of how stupid it was to be so willing to sacrifice herself on the same principles that Latios had gotten himself killed for. She was so willing to be a hero, a hero for someone other than herself, to sacrifice herself for the town, for the Soul Dew, and...for him.

But, none of those phrases left his mouth; in fact, those very phrases died away beneath something else, something new, something that gave him the strength to get back into the air, right beside Latias, beneath the energy of the luxray's growing hyper beam.

"Then I'm with you."

Latias' face fell. "No, Ray, this is my duty, and-"

"If you jump, I'm jumping, too," was all Rayquaza said, his eyes stern.

Latias searched his face, but in the end she found nothing that betrayed Rayquaza's words.

Rayquaza only smiled, as he looked up at the luxray, a distant semblance in his gaze. "Counterparts until the end," he said.

"Counterparts until the end," Latias repeated, tears in her eyes and a smile on her snout.

"_Let's fly_."

With that, the two dragons shot up into the air. As the luxray readied to fire its hyper beam, Rayquaza and Latias charged their own hyper beams, drawing closer and closer to the luxray's mouth – and to its core.

Rayquaza tilted his head. He gazed at Latias as she flew right beside him, at the very dragon he had grown to love, and his eyes grew deep.

_Time to be a hero._

And he swung his tail. It struck Latias, sending her toward the ground. She stopped before she hit it, however, and shook away her disorientation, immediately gazing back at Rayquaza with horror in her eyes, as he continued onward toward the luxray's core, his hyper beam prepared.

"Ray!" she cried out. "No!"

Rayquaza closed his eyes.

He fired his hyper beam, as he flew past the luxray's monstrous fangs and near its throat – just as the luxray fired its beam.

* * *

An explosion of yellow light filled the air. Khan closed his eyes, feeling the energy nip at his face and whip around above him like a storm. He heard Genghis roar out, a painful roar, and Khan opened his eyes to see lines of yellow surge through the luxray's stone skin. It consumed the lines of red, bleeding into the cobblestones streets below, making the rocks float and dimming out the world around them. As if they were clean cuts through rock, the pieces of the luxray's stony flesh broke away from between the yellow lines, shattering, and falling to the ground far below as pebbles and crumbs. The luxray's eyes still glowed, even when it shifted, as if disconnecting from the rest of the body.

Khan's eyes widened when he realized it actually was.

Electivire dropped him to aid his master, who stumbled back when the machine on his arm burst from the yellow light, and the Soul Dew shot out like a bullet. His pokemon wrapped an arm around him, despite his protests to go after the Soul Dew, and took off toward the luxray's back, the head already sliding down from the neck.

Khan got to his feet and followed them. Even though they made it to the neck, crossed the back, and jumped onto the top of the building the luxray had stood beside, Khan had to dive for the neck's edge, as the luxray's head fell beneath his feet, almost taking him with it. With the rest of the body still falling away, Khan struggled to get on top of the neck and then make his way down to the building. The headless stone body tipped forward, and Khan dove again, grabbing the edge of the building's rooftop, just as the body fell and crashed into the ground, the yellow light releasing from it like a beast once caged.

Kicking his feet, Khan tried to pull himself up and over the ledge, but he felt weak. The ground was far below; the fall would certainly kill him. He swallowed hard, but he could only hang there. The world seemed to melt around him, pulling at him, trying to take him with it.

* * *

Genghis shook his head, once his electivire had put him down onto the floor of the building's rooftop. With the red lines gone from his skin, his cobalt-colored eyes darkened at the destruction of his magnificent stone pokemon. He noticed Khan holding onto the edge, who, with that yellow light still shaking the ground and the structures around it, would fall toward the street below at any second.

Then, Genghis heard a loud crack, and he turned to see the Soul Dew land on the floor not far from him, still glowing with corrupted energies. It rolled with the shaking ground, heading toward the edge of the building opposite of Khan.

_A fall from this high up would break it!_

Genghis glanced at his brother, who now hung onto the edge with one hand, screaming at the fate that awaited him.

Genghis snorted at his brother and headed toward the object that was much more important.

* * *

Khan felt the fingers of his hand slip from the edge one by one. He closed his eyes, when he lost his grip on the edge and began to fall-

Something grabbed his arm.

He opened his eyes. Only a second from the building's edge, he looked up – and he saw Genghis holding onto his arm with all of his might.

"Genghis," was all Khan could say.

"Hold on, Khan!"

Genghis pulled Khan up and over the edge. As soon as he touched solid ground, Khan looked past his brother and at the Soul Dew, which teetered on the building's opposite edge.

"Genghis!" he said, pointing. "The Soul Dew!"

Genghis only looked over his shoulder at it, a dark look in his eyes that didn't appear to be anger, but...acceptance.

"You're harder to replace," he said.

And the Soul Dew fell off the edge.

Seconds later, a beam of red and black burst from where the Soul Dew had fallen and presumably shattered on the hard street below. It struck the yellow light that had lingered in the air, and, together, the energies surged through the sky, engulfing all of Alto Mare and everything in it.

* * *

"Ray!"

Latias' voice traveled across the empty streets of Alto Mare, through the smoke of dust and debris that still filled the air. After the Soul Dew had shattered and the energy was released, it had covered Alto Mare, and she had blacked out, for how long she wasn't sure. All she knew was that the stone luxray was gone, the yellow light and corrupted energies of the Soul Dew were gone, and the humans who had stolen the Soul Dew in the first place were gone. Everything was gone, including Rayquaza.

"Ray!" she called out again. Only her echo answered her back.

Then, she saw a shadow within the dusty air – a large, snakelike form that lay across the ground. She flew toward it without hesitation, her eyes softening as the shadow materialized into Rayquaza the closer she became.

Dust covered his scales, as he lay on his side, though his green color still poked through. But, his eyes...they were closed. Apart from the wounds from their fight with the stone luxray, he looked peaceful, as if he was simply asleep.

Latias floated over to his face. "Ray," she whispered. "Ray, wake up." A ghost of a smile crossed her snout. "The luxray is gone, Ray. I think we've won."

But Rayquaza didn't answer. He didn't open his eyes.

Latias stopped, tears clouding her gaze, as she remembered what he had done. "Ray...no..."

"Latias!"

Latias glanced up and saw Bianca emerge from the dusty air, running over to her and Rayquaza. She stopped when she saw Rayquaza, and she looked at Latias. The longer Bianca looked at her, the longer she seemed to understand the situation, until she had her own tears, and her hands came up to cover her mouth.

"Ray," Latias said, her tears falling, as she nuzzled her snout into his. "Ray, wake up! Please! W-why did you do that? Why did you push me away from the luxray?" She closed her eyes. "Why did I let it happen again? Why did I lose...why do I have to lose you, too?"

Rayquaza's body grew softer beneath her touch. She pulled away – and she saw that his body glowed. The tip of his tail started to crumble, blowing away like dust in the wind, until Latias' claws, which had cradled his head, held nothing at all. She watched his remains fly into the sky, and she squinted her eyes as a blue light emerged from their core.

This blue, semi-transparent light took the shape of Rayquaza.

"Ray..." Latias said, looking up at him, floating closer, as if the ghost of Latios stood before her, just as he had done on the night he sacrificed himself. "Ray, no..."

Rayquaza smiled – a soft, assuring smile, that proved he fully acknowledged what he had done, the sacrifice he had made. He leaned and brushed her snout with his, his claw touching hers. "You'll be alright, counterpart," he whispered.

"Ray, I..."

Then, the blue glow of his skin brightened, expanded, and shot up into the air, just like Latios' had done.

He was gone.

And Latias could only open up the claw Rayquaza had touched, revealing a fully bloomed rose, as alive as the sun above them.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

See you guys next time!


	19. A Second Chance

Hey guys.

Thanks for waiting. Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 19: A Second Chance**

* * *

"_Rayquaza..._"

Rayquaza opened his eyes.

A cool breeze brushed across his scales. He was on his back. Lacking any of the pain he felt before, he leaned forward, looking down at the water that surrounded his body. _No...not water. _He raised his hand from the liquid – only to realize it wasn't water at all, but some sort of blue mist that shrouded the ground and clung to his claws. His eyes scanned the area. It was barren, but peaceful, as this water-like mist stretched to a horizon with no end, the sky a dull white that reminded him of an ancient sanctuary, protected by clouds.

"_Rayquaza_," said the same voice from before, an echo across the veil, familiar all the same.

A form rose from the blue mist, taking the shape of an eon pokemon, the same kind Latias was, with blue-colored feathers that contrasted with her red.

Rayquaza inhaled, as if he'd forgotten to do so since he had said goodbye to Latias in Alto Mare. "_L-Latios_?"

The specter smiled. "It's been a while, Rayquaza, though I don't believe we talked much when I was alive."

Rayquaza looked around, finally realizing that what had happened in Alto Mare had actually happened. The peaceful feeling in his chest disappeared without a trace. He had sacrificed himself to save the town, to save its inhabitants, to save Latias, and where he was now-

"I'm...dead," he said, more to himself than to Latios, with a saddened tone that acknowledged none of this as a dream. He had left Latias and the life he once had behind. With a sigh, he looked back at Latios. "I'm really dead."

"Of all the legendaries to save Alto Mare and protect my sister" – Latios met Rayquaza's gaze – "you were the last I would expect to do so."

"So was I."

Latios chuckled, as if trying to comfort Rayquaza by pointing out the humor of the conversation – a contradiction, Rayquaza thought, considering how stern Latios had been in life; however, the sound comforted him as if he was Latias. "At least we're on the same page, then."

Rayquaza shook his head. "What happens now? With Latias? With Alto Mare? The Soul Dew was destroyed in the attack-"

"I know. I was watching it. Contrary to what may have been told though tales, only a part of my soul had shaped that Soul Dew. The rest of me formed my spirit, and, beyond death, I had vowed to watch over my sister. When the Soul Dew was destroyed, that piece of me, that fragment of soul...was freed." He looked up. "I can finally rest now."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't the afterlife, as you might think. Instead, this is somewhere in between the mortal world and where we go upon death. With my soul tied to the mortal realm through the Soul Dew, I had the ability to keep watch over Latias. But, at the same time, I wasn't allowed to truly move on. I could go back and forth, but I could never stay, and while protecting my sister meant a lot to me, the other eons – including my father – who had long passed on wanted me to join them, permanently, in the final world, where I belong now."

"Is that what Arceus meant?" Rayquaza asked, knowing that if Latios watched over Latias, then he would have seen the days they had shared their fake counterpart connection. "When he was talking about how a bond between counterparts sometimes allows those counterparts to make contact, even after one has died?"

"Yeah. Because of that bond, I can visit Latias in her dreams, touch her shoulder with my claw when she's sad, and give her a sense of comfort during times of hardship, even if she can't see me. But, none of that can match up to me actually being there, and for these past years I have had to cope with that. The thing is, I noticed something, when you were with her." Latios smiled, relieved. "I knew she wasn't sad. For a long time, I had felt her depression like it was my own, but yet when you were with her, it was all gone, as if I stood beside her, as if I had never left. A sensation I haven't experienced since when I was alive. She loves you, Rayquaza. You're her reason to believe, like I once was."

"And she is mine." Rayquaza closed his eyes. _And she's the only one who has ever made me feel significant. On the council, I'm just another legendary, but to her, I actually...matter._ He chuckled, as he thought of everything that had led up to this point. "I love her, too."

_I love her, too._

It felt good to say it, as if dropping a heavy weight from his shoulders.

Latios nodded. "That is why I intervened before you fully crossed over."

Rayquaza blinked. "What?"

"As I said, this is the realm in between the mortal world and the afterlife. Since the first eons used their powers to create a Soul Dew that would protect Alto Mare, it was inscribed in destiny that any eons who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the town would leave behind a piece of their soul to become the new Soul Dew, to continue the legacy left by our ancestors. However, you are not an eon like us, and therefore your death did not result in a new Soul Dew to replace the one that was lost."

"The city is defenseless," Rayquaza said, his eyes searching the watery mist around him, too ashamed to look upward.

"I can change that."

Rayquaza met Latios' eyes. "What? Change what?"

"When Arceus mentioned the creation of a permanent bond between counterparts, he did not mention that the first eons to be created were not born connected. The bond between them was a bond _they_ had created. I have the power to shift that bond, to expand it into someone else and make them part eon, similar to how Arceus would do it. In response, a piece of your soul would be returned to the mortal world, to become a new Soul Dew, and you would be permanently bound to Latias through this connection."

"I would still be dead, though."

"Not quite." Latios smirked. "The good thing about having a big family is their willing to help you. With the power they have left over, we should be able to return the rest of your soul to the mortal world as well, to bring you back to life."

Rayquaza's jaw dropped. "How come you can't do that to yourself? And Latias? Could she do that, too?"

"She was never trained on how, like I was." Latios' eyes grew stern. "Besides, my time in that world is done. Rayquaza, I gave everything to protect my sister, but now that I know that you're willing to do the same, I can rest, aware that she is not alone. I trust you, something that I rarely share with other beings. And with you actually there, beside her, it's more than I can ever give. She loves you, and you love her, and to break such a bond that is so powerful would be a crime of its own. You belong there, with her, and it is my time to move on."

"But-"

"I would still be able to watch over her. I know that she will never stop wishing that I was there, but you're her reason to believe now. You're her reason to reach closure, and understand that when a bond is created, nothing can truly destroy it." He floated closer to Rayquaza. "Do you accept? Do you want to be Latias' counterpart?"

"This...this is a lot to take in."

"A life can change in mere seconds," Latios said, his voice soft, "and it doesn't have to mean the end of the story."

Rayquaza swallowed. He tightened his hands into fists as he thought about it. "It's definitely been a while since I've seen you," he said. "What will I say, to Latias? To the other legendaries who still wonder where you went when you died?"

Latios reached forward and touched Rayquaza's forehead with his claw. "I'll see them again someday. A hero is remembered for how he lived, not just for how he died. Let _this _story continue. It's certainly not over yet."

With that, Latios' form grew bright, brighter than the sun, as other eons came out from the mist. Rayquaza closed his eyes from the intensity of their light. He felt something lifting his body, and a feeling washed over his scales that made the world shift around him.

"_Promise me you'll take care of her_," he heard Latios say, his voice distant. "_Even a legendary shouldn't spend his life alone_."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I couldn't think of anything to add that wouldn't be considered as pages of pointless conversation. Besides, Latios always seemed like a pretty straightforward guy to me, and he certainly didn't need to hear Rayquaza's speech of acceptance toward his proposal. He already knew that Rayquaza would have accepted anyway. We all do. ;)


	20. Heaven Can Wait

It's finally here.

I apologize immensely for the wait. Many of you will probably not find the length of this chapter justifiable against the time it took to put it out, and that's understandable. But...I hit all the main points I could, and everything in between would have been too much fluff even for me. However, if there are any scenes you guys are curious about, an epilogue is open to be written. Just let me know.

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

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**Chapter 20: Heaven Can Wait  
**

* * *

Latias cried, laid out across the cold ground of Alto Mare. She held the rose Rayquaza had given her before his passing only minutes ago delicately in her claw. "Why, Ray?" she asked. "Why?"

But, as before, she received no answer.

He was gone.

Just like Latios, Rayquaza was never coming back.

More tears fell at that thought. Bianca cradled the legendary's head in her lap, trying to sooth her. It didn't work. Nothing would work. Latias had failed, again. Because of her, she had lost someone she loved, just like the night she lost Latios. If only she had been stronger, more understanding...Rayquaza might still have been here.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

A tear fell from one of the feathers on her cheek. It reached the stone on the ground.

A bright blue light engulfed its impact. Latias stopped, raised her head from Bianca's lap, and stared at the ground. Where her tear had landed, it seemed to expand, forming a shape with that bright light. A serpentine shape, spread out across the ground, in the same way she had found Rayquaza after the Soul Dew had been destroyed.

When the shape was complete, the form's original colors filled in. Green, yellow, black, red...

Latias gasped.

In front of her and Bianca, was Rayquaza, as if his body had never deteriorated. He shifted, and with a grunt, he slowly opened his eyes.

He smirked, flashing his red-colored teeth. "Why so serious?"

Latias couldn't believe it. "R-Ray? Is that you?"

"Yeah," he said. He put his claws against the ground and pushed himself up. His voice sounded weak, exhausted, but it was there, as solid as stone. "Didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?"

Latias jumped on him, burying her snout into his neck, wanting to make sure this was real and her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. It wasn't. It was real. "R-Ray. Ray, it's really you! But, how-?" She shook her head. "I thought I lost you. I thought I had let you down. I thought I didn't save you."

"You did save me," he said softly. "You taught me so much – you're one of the strongest pokemon I know – and you could never let me down. You're my hero."

"And you're mine."

The rose in Latias' claw shook. She pulled away from Rayquaza, and they both looked at the rose he had given her. A vibrant glow emanated from it, swirling around into the air. The bright streamers circled the rose, and the rose shifted into a spherical shape – a small, crystal ball, with green and red dancing inside of it.

The new Soul Dew.

At that, Rayquaza met Latias' confused eyes. "Long story," he said, "but..." He smiled. "Latios says hi."

Tears filled Latias' eyes – tears of joy. With the new Soul Dew in her claw, she embraced Rayquaza once more. "I love you, Ray."

"I love you, too, Latias. And if you wouldn't mind having me, I think I'd like to stick around for a while."

She held the Soul Dew tighter. "Sounds good, counterpart."

* * *

"With my position as the head of the legendary council," Arceus said, at the usual meeting the next morning that was everything but usual, "I pronounce Rayquaza and Latias official counterparts." He eyed them and smiled warmly. "You've done Alto Mare a great deed. To see such a fantastic duo apart from one another would be a crime!" He chuckled. "And who would I be to break up such a cute couple?"

The legendaries around the room, who had cheered – even with their surprise – at the news of Rayquaza and Latias' established bond, now echoed with rowdy calls.

Rayquaza glared at them. "Buzz off, will ya?"

Latias giggled, grabbed Rayquaza's claw, and led him out of the meeting room. With the legendaries grinning at them and Arceus smiling a proud, fatherly smile, they flew out of the Hall of Legends and toward the rising sun.

* * *

The Secret Garden moved with life. Ulinawi and the rest of the pokemon tribe Rayquaza and Latias had saved danced around. The new Soul Dew had been placed properly on the pedestal of the Garden's central fountain, shining with colors of emerald and red. Within only days, Alto Mare had been fixed with the help of the townspeople, their pokemon, and the stability that came with the presence of a new Soul Dew.

Now, they celebrated.

Like the bustling, partying streets beyond the Garden's walls, the Secret garden was filled with joy, laughter, and music. Pokemon played different instruments, with others riding down various water slides built around the fountain's running streams, landing in a large pool surrounded by fresh, growing roses.

Swishing his tail to the beat of the music, Rayquaza pulled back from the Garden's wall, a paintbrush in his claw. Along the wall, a mural had been painted with the help of the other pokemon, portraying the town of Alto Mare, its eon guardians, and its two current protectors: He and Latias. Latias smiled at him, having finished coloring in their figures.

"Thanks for being there for me, Ray."

"If you jump," he said. "I'm jumping, too. Right?"

Latias hummed. Then, she grinned. "Right."

And she tackled Rayquaza, pushing both he and her into the entrance of a nearby slide. Rayquaza yelped, the water carrying his snake-like form quickly across the Garden and around the trees, with Latias laughing from atop his head. He chuckled, curving his body to the rhythm of the water, increasing their speed. They both landed with a big splash into the main pool.

Latias burst out of the water, flying higher and higher into the air. Her eyes shined, as she transmitted the sight of the bright blue sky to Rayquaza through their sight share ability. This allowed Rayquaza to join her at the right time, cradling her in his arms. They climbed toward the clouds, together.

"You know," he said, with a casual snort, "if you say anything about all this to Deoxys or any of the other legendaries, I'll deny it."

"Deny what?" Latias asked. "That you're just a big softy on the inside?"

"I am not-"

Latias laughed. "You just have to be Ray."

With that, she floated higher against him, a petal on the long stem of a rose. She pressed her snout to his and kissed him.

He kissed her back.

* * *

Shaman hummed contently. From the roof tops of Alto Mare, the sableye watched the two dragons dance together in the sky above the joyful town. He felt a presence approach him. His small hands resting on top of his staff, he turned his head, acknowledging the transparent shape of the eon pokemon that manifested behind him.

"All this time you still had enough strength to become a semi-physical shape in this realm," the eon pokemon said, his voice confused, "but you didn't talk to your sister or even Arceus?"

Shaman shrugged. "They weren't the ones who needed to see or hear me." He looked back at Rayquaza and Latias. "I've done my job. I think Rayquaza can handle things from here."

"Are you ready to finally join us in the world beyond?"

Shaman stood, his form shifting to its original shape. "Yeah."

Latios turned to follow his father into the other world, where he could finally rest for good. Before he left, he took one last glance at his sister, as she smiled at her new counterpart.

"Thank you, Rayquaza. Take good care of Latias."

And he disappeared, his chuckle an echo in the distance.

* * *

Miles away from Alto Mare, on the wreckage of a boat that somehow still managed to float (having been in Alto Mare when the Soul Dew was taken), two Team Rocket grunts sat back to back, eyeing the water.

Khan swallowed, wondering if he should ask the question he had been wanting to ask since he and Genghis managed to escape before authorities had caught them in relation to the Soul Dew's destruction. "So..."

Genghis growled. "So what, Khan?"

"Why did you save me? Back there, I mean, when you could have had the Soul Dew?"

"Like I said, you're harder to replace."

Khan smiled. "You really mean that?"

"Don't let it get to your head." Genghis looked over his shoulder. "And when we get back to HQ, our story to Giovanni was that we were hunting a legendary in hopes to catch it for his team, only to lose it to meddling kids."

"He'll believe that?"

"It's happened before."

Khan hummed and twiddled his thumbs.

Genghis sighed. "Look, I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"About being an ass." Genghis shook his head. "I don't know what came over me. I don't even know why I got us into this stupid organization. They never get anything done, frankly." He snorted. "You know, forget going back to HQ. Let's just leave."

"And go where?"

"I don't know. The Orange Islands? I could use a vacation." Genghis eyed his brother. "But only if you want to as well."

"Sounds good, Genghis."

"Oh yeah – and sorry, about that girl you liked."

Khan looked at Alto Mare. He could still see it in the distance. He stifled a depressed sigh. "It's alright. Maybe I'll come back and see her again, after the police stop looking for us." He paused. "But...Genghis?"

"What?"

He swallowed. "I love you."

"Shut up, Khan." A small smile spread across Genghis' face, hidden from Khan. "I love you, too."

* * *

**The End**

* * *

A special shout out to everyone who supported this story - definitely to those who stuck around even with my sluggish pace. I may or may not write an epilogue, but, overall, Skyway Avenue is done.

Thanks for reading. :)


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